Blue Skies
by the64single
Summary: Ace always wondered if he deserved to be born - if he deserved to exist. Sora, the ex-second division commander, always wondered what she was living for. But when their eyes meet, time slows and the answer becomes much, much clearer.  Ace x OC
1. Chapter 1: Sora

Her name was Sora.

As cliché as it sounded, when Ace had first met her, he felt the breath catch in his chest. She was a delicate flower, standing about a head shorter than him with her dark hair billowing behind her, contrasting against her fair skin. Her eyes were like the sky, blue, and endless like the sea and flecked with shades of green and gold. Ace found himself drowning, suffocating, wanting to surface but at the same time, yearning to be submerged. She was proud and strong; Ace could feel her presence – grounded and confident, never faltering. Her presence consumed him, crushing him, overwhelming him. She was a woman, in every sense of the word.

A woman jabbed her finger up Ace's nose and the man leapt backwards, shaking his head out of shock. "What the hell?" he said, rubbing his nose and furrowing his brows at her.

"Wasn't me," she said, holding her hands up.

Ace sighed exasperatedly. "I saw you come at me."

"You saw my _boobs_ come at you," the older woman teased, smirking at him.

"Tiny, _tiny_ boobs," Ace sighed, sounding genuinely disappointed as he purposely directed his eyes at her chest. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed loudly, shaking his head as though a tragedy had occurred.

She looked down at her chest as well. "They're not that tiny," she complained, pouting as she moved past Ace, heading back to the village behind Marco and Thatch.

They weren't. Not like Ace would admit it, though.

"Oh yeah," she said, turning to face Ace again. She grinned, and Ace immediately noticed her dimples. "My name's Sora."

**CHAPTER ONE**

"She's got to be the reason why Marco and Thatch bought those flowers," Jozu mumbled to himself, but loud enough so that Marco, and Thatch could hear him from up ahead.

Marco and Thatch turned around to shoot Jozu a look.

"Untrue," Marco mouthed.

"Very untrue," Thatch chimed in, and in an instant, presented Sora with a bouquet of sunflowers and irises. "I got these for you from the last island."

"These are from me," Marco added, showing off his bouquet of lilies.

Sora laughed, pushing both arrangements from her face. "Thanks for the thought, boys, but you know I don't like flowers," she said, waving them off. "Dunk 'em in some water and put 'em up in the bar, I guess."

Both division commanders looked a little dejected, but proceeded into following her into the town. "I'm stoked to see _Oyajii_," she said aloud, clapping her hands together.

It was then that Ace noticed her tattoo. It was the same as the one on his back, the purple Whitebeard Pirates' Jolly Roger emblazoned on her right arm, decorated with swirling black tribal marks that ran down the length of the entire limb. It was an intense contrast between her fair skin and the bold tattoo.

Ace also had to double take upon hearing the woman call Whitebeard '_Oyajii_' - 'Pops'. Ace had never seen a woman a part of the Whitebeard Pirates. Izou didn't count because the man was a cross-dresser. The Ice Witch, Whitey Bay, was an ally, so that didn't count either. A daughter amongst Whitebeard's sons? Ace had never heard of her.

Arashi Island. Ace had also never heard of this place, but here they were, sand crunching beneath their shoes as they followed some dark haired woman into a village. It was a modest place, the streets made of old concrete and the houses still deciding if they wanted to e made of wood or stone, as each house was made differently and some looked in better shape than others.

But the people looked happy, despite their little village. People going about their daily business stopped to chat with each other, not minding that they were putting their own agendas aside for a few minutes to talk with someone they saw everyday.

The part that amazed Ace the most though, was that a group of pirates could walk through the streets. It wasn't even about being feared, or having whispers shadow them, no, it was the fact that they could _walk through the streets. _They didn't need to sidle between people, or wear disguises, or run away from the marines and villagers waiting to tattle – no, they could just stroll along as though they were normal civilians. There was no discrimination between a pirate and a native.

"Marco and Thatch have been swooning over her for years now. Marco more so than Thatch," Jozu sighed, shaking his head at the two men who were chatting up a storm with the new woman.

"Why?" Ace asked. "She's kind of weird."

Jozu laughed heartily. "You can scour the seas, lad, but you will never find a woman like Sora. There is no replacement."

Ace was skeptical. "Really." It was a statement of disbelief rather than a challenge. Sure, the girl was pretty, but she had just stuck her finger up his nose.

"Sora," Jozu called, and the woman turned around.

The woman turned at the sound of her name, pausing in her steps. "Diamond Jozuuuuuuu," she said, shimmying goofily towards him. "What's up, buttercup—"

Jozu enveloped his arm in diamonds, pulled it back, and launched it at the small woman at full power. Ace could feel the diamonds cut the air as Jozu's fist whizzed right past him. Ace jumped, startled by the sudden explosion of power.

But if he had blinked, he would have missed it. Sora's arm shot out just as quickly, and there an enormous eruption of wind. Marco, Thatch, and Ace had to shield their eyes from it. But when Ace looked up again, Sora's palm was resting gently on Jozu's giant knuckle.

"You've gotten stronger," the large man noticed, and the diamonds receded. Ace watched in disbelief as the man shook out his hand, as though the five-foot-two woman had actually injured a diamond-encrusted fist.

Sora pulled her hand back, not showing any sign of pain. "You, too, big guy. Can we go see _Oyajii_ now?" She spun on her heels and skipped through a door.

Ace looked up at the building they were entering. The Sky Pub.

It was just like Party's Bar back on Dawn Island, a cozy place where every single customer was a regular. Ace noticed that the Whitebeard Pirates who currently had bounties had their wanted posters hanging on the wall behind the bar. He scanned the place, his eye catching on old bottles of sake and champagne, the many, _many _beer taps, and most oddly, a picture frame that was turned down. If Ace hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed it. He wondered what an overturned picture frame was doing behind the bar.

"_Oyajii_!" Sora greeted loudly, making her way over the giant man seated in the corner of the bar. It seemed like that section was made exclusively for Whitebeard; the ceiling was raised and the booth was large enough to fit the rather large man.

"Sora!" he bellowed, laughing heartily and poured sake down his throat. He slammed the bowl down, having finished the last drop. Ace wasn't surprised that Whitebeard had already finished a serving of sake within the first several minutes they had been here. "Sake got better!"

She laughed, hooking hair behind her ear. "Been practicing for when you come."

"How else has everything been?"

"Same old, you know, boring stuff," Sora shrugged, grinning. Ace couldn't help but smile a little as well. Her happiness over seeing Whitebeard was spreading to others in the bar.

"You should come out to sea with us again," Whitebeard suggested, and for one moment, Ace saw weakness. She gasped in a little bit of air and her body froze. But before anyone could say anything about it, the moment passed, and the woman smiled.

Her voice had quieted a little. "Nah, you know I couldn't."

"Have you met the new second division commander?" Whitebeard asked, and gestured for Ace to come forward. The younger man stepped forward, running a hand through his hair and offering Sora a smile.

"We've met," Sora said, grinning at Ace. She seemed to notice something, and her smile softened, along with the look in her eyes. It made Ace's knees go weak. "I, ah, like his freckles." She seemed to be talking to Whitebeard, but her eyes were locked with Ace's, blue crashing with brown.

He cleared his throat and looked away slightly, rubbing the bridge of his nose with the back of his thumb. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"I'm sure you both will become good friends," Whitebeard said, his giant hand patting the little girl on the head. She didn't say a word grinned up at him in admiration. When she was sure that the man's attention had drifted off of her, Sora turned back to the four division commanders.

"So, as usual, you boys will be staying with me," she said, putting her hands on her hips. She was about to open her mouth to say more, but there was a small ruckus from behind the bar and Sora's head whipped around.

Standing on boxes that were piled on chairs and more boxes was a younger boy. He looked about ten and was stretching his twiggy arm out towards a big bottle of sake on the highest shelf. "Kohaku," Sora said, her voice deepening with concern as she stepped towards him.

Seeming alarmed that he had been caught, the boy looked back, and at that moment, toppled from the top box. Ace made a move to run towards him but there was a rush of wind and Kohaku seemed to hover in mid air for a moment, before stepping onto the wooden floors, unharmed. Unharmed after falling nearly ten feet? Ace blinked several times.

Sora waved her hand and the bottle tipped off the top of the shelf, dropping into her hands. "What'd I tell you about climbing on shit, man?" she asked the little boy, shoving his face lightly.

"I wanted to get the bottle of sake," the boy answered as though Sora had asked him a stupid question.

"Yeah, obviously," she said, holding the bottle just out of his reach, Kohaku jumping for it. "You're like, five years old, why do you want sake?"

"I'm _ten_," Kohaku stated as a matter-of-fact, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I wanted to give the bottle to Whitebeard."

"I already gave him sake."

"But I didn't."

Sora sighed and leaned her elbow on his head, resting her fist on her chin. Kohaku tried to brush her off, but Sora followed his movement, giggling as Kohaku became agitated. "Oy," Sora said, hooking her fingers under the younger boy's chin, and turning him to face her. Kohaku scrunched his face together, the bridge of his nose wrinkling. Sora sighed, and shoved the bottle into his hands. "If I find out you drank any, I'm literally going to kick your ass."

Kohaku grinned. "Don't worry. Sake tastes gross anyway," he added before skipping past her and the division commanders to Whitebeard.

"How would you know what sake tastes like?" she called after him, but Kohaku just ignored her, plopping into Whitebeard's booth and handing him the bottle that was nearly half his size. The woman just sighed, shaking her head. She turned to the boys. "Kids, huh?"

Ace furrowed his brow. How _old _was she? Ace knew that she was several years older than himself, but old enough to have a ten-year-old and still keep a slim, firm body? She recovered well. Ace was impressed.

Then again, if Kohaku were Sora's son, she probably wouldn't use profanity around him or address him as 'man'. But Ace decided it was better not to ask. The last thing he wanted to do was offend her. Maybe that was just how mothers addressed their kids nowadays.

"Anyway," Sora said, flicking her wrist as though it was supposed to erase the incident with Kohaku. "As usual, you lucky boys will be staying with me."

Ace hadn't comprehended her the first time. "What?"

"We house the Whitebeard Pirates because our lodges would get full if everyone just stayed there. And why stay on a ship when there's land everywhere?" Sora answered, giving Ace two thumbs up. She clapper her hands together, and picked up an apron from behind the bar. "You guys know where your rooms are, so hop to it! I have some things to take care of here." Sora tied on the black apron and slipped behind the bar.

"Belleville, when are we gonna have a rematch?" Marco called after Sora. She looked up and laughed.

"You want me to beat your ass again, Phoenix? How sweet."

"I got new tricks. You better watch yourself," the blonde teased.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll go a round when there's time."

"You better make time for me."

After they were sure that Sora's attention was elsewhere, Marco and Thatch raced up the stairs, the wood creaked loudly beneath their heavy footsteps. Jozu and Ace headed up afterwards to hear the two arguing. "Oy, I want the room by Sora's," Marco said, his bag acting as a flag as he threw it in, claiming territory.

"I got here first," Thatch said, playfully shoving Marco aside. Jozu rolled his eyes at the two grown men who were acting like children.

"It doesn't matter, 'cause the both of you are sharing anyway," Jozu commented, gesturing to the two beds in the room Marco and Thatch were in. "And stop fighting over Sora. She will always reject both of you." Marco and Thatch rolled their eyes as though Jozu's accusation was completely false.

The door next to Marco and Thatch's room was painted white and the purple Whitebeard Pirates Jolly Roger was painted on. The door was also much larger, corresponding with the larger part of the bar below. Ace assumed that this was the captain's room. Next to that was a door that read, "DIAMOND JOZUUUUUU" in bold lettering.

The large man laughed, jabbing a thumb at the sign. "Guess this is mine." Ace glanced around, noticing that the only door was the door to the bathroom. He assumed the unlabeled closed door to the right of Marco and Thatch's room was Sora's.

"Where am I staying?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are we sharing?"

Jozu pushed open the door to his room, only to see several mattresses lined up to make a giant bed that could only fit the diamond devil fruit user. Ace furrowed his brows, confused. Would he be staying a lodge? Whitebeard and the other three high ranking division commanders were all staying with Sora, so why wasn't Ace? She had to have known that there was a second division commander; she had said, '_as usual_' twice, so he assumed that she had prepared a room for him.

"You should ask Sora about that," Jozu suggested.

"But she's busy," Ace said, waving him off. "It's fine. I'll go walk around for now and come back when the bar dies down."

"You sure?" Jozu asked, but Ace was already walking away. The younger man gave a salute as his farewell and hopped down the stairs, feeling his hollow footsteps make a ruckus. He reached the bottom, and turned his head for one moment to look behind the bar.

Sora was already looking at him, a confused expression on her face. Someone was calling her, as he could hear her name in the background, but time seemed to slow down when their eyes locked. People moved around them, but they were just scenery; Ace and Sora the main attraction, fireworks exploding as shades of blue and brown twisted and converged, becoming one. Ace knew he wasn't just imagining it; he knew that she felt it too. It was like they were in sync, sharing the swelling feeling in their chests, the rippling chills down their spines.

She opened her mouth to say something, paused, seemed to think about it, and then closed her mouth. Sora decided to just toss Ace a light wave, breaking the atmosphere. Ace watched as everything around them moved at a regular speed again and Sora looked away, towards the voice that had been calling her.

Ace smiled to himself, and left the bar.


	2. Chapter 2: Pirate Stories

Ace needed the sea.

It had provided him with everything he had ever hoped and dreamed for, and then some. The sand on the beach was soft, and the wind was cool, but sticky with salt, running through his hair and swirling around him, consuming him. The sun had set long ago and the beach was silent, save for the sound of the waves lapping on the shore, music to his ears. Even though he was on land, it was relaxing to be near the sea, and this beach was the best he had been at so far. It wasn't a mystery why Whitebeard came here every now and then.

Ace let his bright orange hat hang around his neck, letting the wind and spray of the ocean kiss his cheeks. He leaned back on his arms, breathing in deep the feeling of the ocean. The sea was where he belonged; it was his home.

"Hey," called a voice behind him.

Ace turned, recognizing that the voice belonged to Kohaku, the boy he had seen at the bar with Sora. "What's up?" Ace asked, grinning as he sat up straight.

The boy plopped down next to Ace on the sand, crossing his legs. His mop of shaggy blonde hair flopped around as he turned his head to look at the pirate. "What're you doing by yourself?"

Ace turned his eyes back to the horizon, the edge of the sea blending with the night sky, the light from the moon reflecting on the ocean fading into the stars. "Watching the sea."

Kohaku laughed a little, following Ace's eyes. "You're just like _Aneki_. She comes out here by herself sometimes and just stares at the ocean for hours." The younger boy shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds a little boring to me."

"_Aneki_?" Ace asked, a little confused.

"Sora?" Kohaku answered, raising his eyebrows as though Ace had just asked the silliest question in the world.

"She's your sister," Ace thought aloud, the mystery from earlier solved. He remembered that Sora's hair was black like night, while Kohaku's hair was blonde. He also noticed that Kohaku's eyes were green, while there was no mistaking that Sora's eyes were blue. "You don't look alike."

"Everyone says that, but I don't think that should matter. Family is family, right?" Kohaku asked, grinning.

Ace nodded, smiling back at the younger boy. There was no one that understood family more than Ace, no one that understood family more than any of the Whitebeard Pirates. It was a foundation of the entire crew; it was why Whitebeard was the strongest man in the world. "That's true."

"So," Kohaku said, exhaling as he spoke. "You're new, aren't you?"

Kohaku didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. Ace glanced around, wondering if this was okay, as he saw how overprotective Sora had gotten back at the bar. She wasn't strict, but Ace could tell from her demeanor that she worried plenty about Kohaku, because Ace knew his displayed the same kind of behavior when around Luffy.

"Yeah, sort of. Newest commander, I guess," Ace answered, shrugging.

"I've seen your wanted poster," Kohaku said with a grin. "Impressive."

Ace brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder and raised his eyebrows, nodding as though he had won some kind of prize. "I try."

Kohaku laughed. "I'm not surprised that you're the second division commander. I think you have a pretty neat fruit."

"Wanna see something cool?" Ace asked, and without waiting for the boy's answer – because he knew that it was an irrevocable yes – Ace scooped some sand up with his hands. He faced his back to Kohaku for a moment, and his hands exploded into a raging fire. Kohaku could feel the heat from behind Ace, searing his skin. If Ace hadn't extinguished the flame immediately, Kohaku would have probably been burned. Ace opened his hands and moved his fingers quickly, turning back to Kohaku.

"Ta-dah!" He revealed a glass shell, steam still rising from it, the glass still red-hot. The younger boy reached out his hand to touch it, but Ace pulled his hands away quickly. "Woah, watch it. It's still super hot." Ace dropped the shell to the damp sand near his feet, hearing the cool temperature of the earth hiss against the newly made glass. Kohaku looked a little dejected, but Ace just laughed, messing up the boy's hair. "Don't worry, kid, you can keep it."

"You can melt sand," Kohaku breathed in amazement, his eyes shimmering. Ace suddenly felt like he was watching Luffy discover something new. "So cool!"

Ace found it refreshing to finally be interacting with someone that wasn't 'wanted – dead or alive' or a marine that was trying to capture him. Here, he was normal, and for once, he felt good about that fact. He didn't even know that a part of him had missed being 'normal'. Now he was a first-rate pirate aboard the ship of the strongest man alive, unable to swim in open seas because of a fruit he ate two years ago. How things have changed since he had been with Luffy back on Dawn Island.

Ace and Kohaku stayed out rather late, Ace having needed to light a fire with some old beach wood in order to keep the younger boy warm. The continued to talk, and Ace told Kohaku all about his adventures through the Grand Line, the younger boy listening with wide eyes.

"I think I want to be a pirate when I get older," Kohaku chimed in after Ace had finished a story about an island called Little Garden.

Ace held his hands up and shook his head. "No, no, don't do that just 'cause of me! It's a lot more dangerous than it seems." The last thing he wanted was to influence a young kid like Kohaku to become a pirate because of the stories he was telling. Ace didn't tell Kohaku about being tailed by the marines and brawling with other pirates. Though the sea was wondrous, it was also filled with death.

"Oh, don't worry, I already made up my mind about being a pirate a long time ago," Kohaku said, as though those were reassuring words. "I mean, I know it'd be cool to be a marine. They have really strong guys like the Admirals, too, but I feel like being a pirate is something I need to do. It's something I have to fulfill –I just feel it. It's a part of me, you know?"

Ace knew. As the son of Gol D. Roger, there was no way Ace could _not _become a pirate. No, not when his father was a world-class criminal. Even though the hero of the marines, Monkey D. Garp, had raised him, Ace couldn't imagine himself as a hero. It was in his blood to be a pirate.

But wait a second, who was Kohaku even referring to? Ace opened his mouth to ask, but was interrupted. "Kohaaaaaaaaku," called a voice from behind them. Sora was standing on the beach with her hands on her hips. She was making her way over to them.

"Oops," Kohaku whispered, grinning at Ace. He stood up to face Sora.

"What're you doing, buddy?" Sora asked, raising her eyebrows and playfully shoving her brother's face. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Nope," Kohaku answered, smiling innocently at her as though his big green eyes were going to pull him out of trouble. "And I was hanging out with Ace. Look what he made me!" Kohaku held out his hand, showing the glass shell that Ace had made from sand.

Sora picked it from his hands, shut an eye and looked through it with the other. She handed it back to the boy. "It's really pretty. I'm almost jealous," she added, laughing a little. She then sighed, bending down to look at Kohaku in the face. "Look, little man, you gotta tell me when you're going out, and you definitely shouldn't go out by yourself. The last thing I need is for you to go missing. You didn't even say anything to _Oyajii_ when you left him."

"They were busy drinking anyway," Kohaku whined, sighing. Sora's tone never sharpened, but Kohaku could feel her disappointment, making his gut churn with guilt.

"Just be sure to tell me next time you go out okay? Don't just disappear by yourself."

"But I wasn't by myself. I was with Ace the whole time. Right?" Kohaku turned back to Ace for confirmation, as though doing so would make Sora stop scolding him.

Ace grinned and gave Sora the thumbs up. "Yup. We were talking about adventures at sea."

Ace saw her expression drop again the same way he had seen earlier that day. She froze for a moment, and then seemed to regain her composure, shaking her head and smiling as though snapping out of a trance. "Adventures at sea, huh?" she repeated quietly. Ace couldn't tell her emotions. Was she upset? No, that distant look in her eyes; it was nostalgia. But it was gone before Ace could say anything about it. She looked back at Kohaku, stood up and started for the village. "Come on, Kohaku, it's way past your bedtime."

"But I'm not even tired," Kohaku said, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he followed the woman back to the village.

Sora stopped for a moment and nodded her head towards Ace. "Say bye to Ace," she reminded Kohaku.

The little boy turned around and grinned. "Bye, Ace," he said with a grin.

"See ya," Ace said, shooting the boy a little salute as he followed his sister through the sand.

Sora and Kohaku had retreated to the village, but Ace decided to stay out a little longer, listening to the sea. He pulled off his boots and laid back into the sand, staring up at the stars for a brief moment. He inhaled deeply, breathing the salty air and exhaled as he closed his eyes once more, allowing himself to become one with the sounds of the ocean.

His mind floated back to the adventures that he had told Kohaku about. He had been to so many places within the last two years, after leaving Dawn Island when he was seventeen. He had found the _Mera Mera no Mi_, become a renowned pirate and even offered the position of _Shichibukai_. He had found his greatest hero in his worst enemy and now was a part of that family. And all of it was thanks to the sea. He couldn't think of anything that was more beautiful and more binding than the ocean. It made friends and family of people who once were enemies.

When he opened his eyes again, the fire had long since died, and the lights of the village had dimmed with most of its inhabitants going to sleep. He hopped up and dusted his back of sand, but still feeling the sand between his toes as he walked back to the town. Ace dusted off his legs, carrying his boots with him and walking barefoot through the streets until he reached Sora's bar, the Sky Pub. He smiled a little at the name, as "_sora_" did mean "sky".

Ace pushed open the doors quietly, noticing that most of the lights were out. Sora was still at the empty bar, wiping down the tables. She looked up and brushed the hair from her face. "Hey," she greeted, standing up straight.

Ace hopped onto a barstool, allowing it to spin around before facing her. He rested his elbow on the bar and cupped his face in his hand, flashing his most charming smile. "Wanna have a drink with me?"

She giggled and shook her head, immune. "Sorry, studly, maybe next time. I was just finishing up here." She untied her apron and tossed both the apron and the rag she'd been using into a basket behind the bar. Sora yawned, her whole body shivering with the motion. "I'm a little tired, so I'm gonna head upstairs to sleep."

"Oh, yeah, about that," Ace said, hopping off the barstool to catch her before she went up the stairs. "Where am I sleeping?"

"With me," she answered. Ace felt his face heat up slightly and he stifled a cough as an excuse to bring his hand to his face. Sora realized what she had said and shook her head, holding her hands up. Ace stole a glance at her and noticed that her face had also turned slightly pink. "No, I, ah, not like _that_. But I don't really, uh, have a lot of rooms and stuff, so not like, _together, _but you know, in the same room," she said, stumbling over words as she tried to explain herself.

Sora cleared her throat, also bringing her hand to her face to hide the color that had developed. "My, ah, room is next to the right of the stairs, so you can come up whenever you're tired. Close the front door and turn out the lights for me, too, would'ya?" she added with a wink, skipping up the stairs. Ace was about to ask where the shower was, but Sora called down to him. "Shower's down the hall."

The pounding of her footsteps against the hollow wood faded as she moved up the stairs and retreated to her room. The door closed quietly behind her. Ace decided that it was time to call it a night and probably should have just told Sora that before she left him with the responsibility of closing her bar. He snapped the lock on the door, and headed behind the counter to flick off the lights, hoping that was all he needed to do. The bar darkened, the only glow coming from the small light hovering by the stairs.

Ace yearned for a shower. The stairs creaked beneath his feet and he made a right at the top of the stairs, chuckling quietly to himself as the sounds of his _nakama_'s snoring rumbled even through the doors.

The bathroom was a surprisingly large room, with a bathtub lined with jets and a shower nozzle the size of Ace's head perched on the ceiling. The floors were wooden and still damp from the other commanders having showered. Ace didn't think there was going to be a towel, but Sora had left him one on the sink. He sighed gratefully. The last thing he wanted was to have showered and realize that he had nothing to dry himself off with.

Ace twisted the nozzles, water shooting out of the showerhead. Ace allowed the room to steam up before stepping into the tub and letting the warm water wash over his body. Being at sea for a long time, while insurmountable in feeling, could get a little grimy sometimes. Ace was relieved whenever he had the chance to wash off all the salt from his skin.

His shower was quick and he snatched the towel off the sink, wiping his hair and dabbing off drops of water from his skin. He frowned at his black shorts. He wanted to wash those before wearing them again. He probably had something in his room; Marco had brought his bag. Ace was fairly certain that the other division commanders had asked about where Ace was going to stay, so he was hoping that his bag was already in Sora's room.

Tying the towel around his waist and grabbing his old clothes, Ace flicked off the lights and crossed the hall to Sora's room. He pushed it open, expecting the girl to have gone to sleep, and to have the room to himself so he could change.

But Sora was awake, sitting in bed with a pair of glasses on, her dark hair tied into a bun, loose strand falling into her face. She was dressed in a baggy shirt and pinstriped pajama pants. Ace froze, thinking that she would freak out since he was naked under the towel, but she just laughed, and pretended to check him out, running her eyes up and down his body, moving across his defined muscles, taking in the way the drops of water falling from his hair made his skin glisten. "If only we all looked that good before going to sleep, huh?" she teased, her eyes flicking back to her book as though she didn't care that there was a naked man in her room.

"You're pretty cute, but I don't know, your boobs are pretty nonexistent in that shirt," Ace joked back, and Sora rolled her eyes.

"And we're back at boobs," she laughed, and dog-eared her page, setting the book on the nightstand near her bed. She gestured to the bag on the ground. "You gonna put on some clothes or am I going to have to change my mind about having us room together? I hope you don't sleep naked."

Ace laughed and shook his head. "If you could not watch me, then I could put on pants."

"Okay, go," Sora said, covering her eyes with her hands. Ace kept his eyes fixed on her for a moment before quickly shedding his towel and pulling on a pair of cotton shorts. He tossed his towel onto his bed stand, glancing back at Sora, who still had her eyes covered. "Done?"

"Nope," Ace said, grinning as he hopped into bed, resting his arms behind his head. He normally slept without blankets – it got too hot, no matter where he was – so he didn't bother covering himself with them. Sora tried to spread her fingers for a peek but Ace caught her. "Don't look or you're gonna see my junk," he lied, laughing.

"Hurry up," she whined, her hands still covering her eyes. Ace just laughed and Sora squeezed a peek through her thin fingers, seeing Ace lying in his bed, clothed. She gasped, made a face at him and hurled her pillow his way. "You lied to me! Now our trust is broken forever."

"Oh, no, is there any way I can regain it?" Ace cried in fake desperation, playing along.

Sora pressed her lips together and shook her head sympathetically. "No, I'm sorry, but it can't be done."

The both shared a laugh and Ace tossed her pillow back. Ace smiled at her. "Hey, sorry about today."

"Sorry about what?" she asked, plopping down on her bed as she stuffed her pillow underneath her head.

"Kohaku, and everything. We really were at the beach the whole time. Didn't mean to make you worry."

Sora waved him off. "Nah, it's fine. I knew he was telling that truth. That boy knows better than to lie to me. Our trust would be broken forever," she joked, chuckling a bit.

Ace continued. "And about the pirate stories, I—"

"It's fine," she reassured Ace, smiling at the man. "I know that Kohaku's been wanting to be a pirate for forever. There's no helping him; he loves hearing pirate stories. He doesn't understand how dangerous it is," she shrugged. "But you can't hold a person back from their dreams."

"Being a pirate's not all that bad," Ace commented. Despite the dangers, if Ace could do it all over again, he wouldn't change anything.

Sora smiled at Ace. "I know." And didn't say anything else about it. She yawned, stretching her body out on the bed. "I'm pretty beat, so I'm gonna go to sleep," she told Ace, clicking off the lamp on the nightstand.

Ace smiled in the darkness. "Good night, Sora."


	3. Chapter 3: Pet Fish

Ace groaned and rolled over, awoken by the rays of the morning sunlight leaking through the curtains. He rolled over, covering his face with the pillow.

"You staying in bed all day or what?" asked a female voice, and Ace turned his body towards it, forcing his eyes open. Sora was standing over his bed, already dressed in a very short, black, off the shoulder cotton dress. Her bra straps were visible and Ace saw that under the dress, she was wearing a pair of shorts, knowing that the cotton material barely covered anything. "Morning, studly."

"Why are you awake so early?" he groaned, his voice scratchy as he rolled over again.

"It's like, ten," Sora said, laughing. "And I'm going out with Marco today." Ace's attention was piqued with that last statement.

"Just Marco?" he asked, sitting up and facing her.

She smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Yes? We're going on a hike."

Ace noticed her worn out combat boots and the knapsack slung over her shoulder. Ace felt a thick bubble forming in his chest. It clogged his lungs, making it difficult to breathe, and the sticky feeling spread to his entire body, poisoning his blood and making his eyes burn. Was this jealousy? "Oh," was all he could say as he rubbed his eyes. "See you tonight then."

"We're gonna be out all day," Sora told him, and moved toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, probably."

Wanting her to stay for a few more seconds, Ace spoke. "Who's, ah, watching Kohaku today?"

"Hmm? Oh, I just told him to stay in today, no big deal," she said, waving Ace off. "He goes nuts if I'm not there watching him. That kid needs constant supervision."

"I can hang out with him if he doesn't want to stay in a bar all day," Ace offered. "He can show me around and we can grab some food, you know, the stuff you're supposed to be doing for a guest," Ace teased.

Sora rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you were dying to be shown around," Sora said, smirking. "And don't worry about Kohaku. You don't have to do that."

"But I want to," Ace said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He was used to waking up to take care of the ship, but never to take care of a kid. He had no idea what he was doing. He didn't know how to hang out with children. Sora seemed to be a little hesitant, but Ace spoke up again. "Don't worry. Think of this as step one into gaining your trust back."

The woman laughed. "Fine, go ahead," she said, and turned the doorknob, pulling open the wooden door.

"Have fun," Ace called after her, trying not to bite his words off as he wished her a pleasant day with another man.

"You, too," she said back, closing the door behind her.

Ace let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. What the hell did he just do? Volunteering to babysit while Sora was out with Marco – there were already three things wrong with that. One, Ace didn't have a clue how to babysit. Kohaku wasn't his brother, so it wasn't like he could smack him over the head; it wasn't like watching Luffy. Two, that beautiful woman was spending the entire day with Marco. And three, was Ace _jealous _of Marco?

The flame user shook his head. Marco was his _nakama_, not a competitor. Ace barely knew Sora. So what did it matter if she was going to be with Marco all day? Why should Ace even care?

But it did matter. And he did care.

Ace sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He pulled a loose white tank top from his bag and pulled it over his body. He mussed up his hair, stepped into an extra pair of slippers before standing up and heading out the door.

Although it was morning, there were already people at the bar, having breakfast. Ace sat at a barstool, stomach growling loudly.

"Hey again," greeted a voice, and Ace glanced up to see Kohaku sitting on a stool behind the bar.

"What's up?" Ace greeted, smiling. "Did your sister tell you on the way out?"

Kohaku shook his head.

"She's going out with Marco today so it's just me and you today, bro!" Ace said, shooting Kohaku a thumbs-up.

Kohaku laughed and nodded. "Okay. I was wondering why she left in a hurry."

Ace swallowed a lump in his throat. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I mean, I guess she was just rushing to meet Marco. I saw him leave earlier. She didn't even say bye."

"What's up with her and Marco?" he asked. He thought that she didn't like flowers, and Jozu said that she had rejected Marco and Thatch before.

The younger boy shrugged. "I dunno. She likes hanging out with Marco. They normally go out a lot when the Whitebeard Pirates come here. Well, I mean, not _a lot_, but they have these all-day things where she just makes me stay inside."

"Oh," Ace said again. "That's cool. Does she like him?"

Kohaku immediately shook his head. "Nope. Well, I mean, they're friends." He raised both of his eyebrows and smirked slightly. "Why?"

"Just asking," Ace said, shrugging like he didn't care. He needed to change the subject. "Anyway, uh, want some breakfast?" He patted the barstool next to him.

Kohaku seemed to have already forgotten about Sora and Marco as he hopped off his own barstool and moved around to sit next to Ace. A server came over to Ace. His nametag read, 'Eiichi'. "What can I get you?"

"The biggest, heartiest breakfast you got," Ace answered, and Kohaku grinned. "We're pretty damn hungry."

Eiichi laughed and nodded, scribbling it down on a paper. "King's Breakfast, then," he said, and stuck the tag in a window behind him. "We're pretty slow so it'll be out soon." Eiichi moved away to clean glasses and talk to another one of the pirates who was having breakfast. Ace couldn't help but find it amazing how they were accepted here like regular people.

"You sure you can even eat the King's Breakfast?" Kohaku asked, sounding skeptical. "It's pretty big; it normally feeds like, five people."

"Don't underestimate my ability to eat," Ace said, tapping Kohaku on the forehead. "I didn't have dinner last night, and besides, we're eating it together. You can help me out if I can't finish it."

Kohaku laughed and shook his head. "Sure."

"Hey, so I was thinking," Ace started, turning to Kohaku, who glanced up, listening intently. "Sora seems like a really good fighter. To have beaten Marco? That's pretty insane."

"Yeah, she's like the strongest person on the island. It's pretty awesome; she takes care of everyone," Kohaku said proudly, grinning. "No one messes with us 'cause she'd just mess them up."

"Does Sora have a devil fruit?"

Kohaku nodded. "Yeah. She's pretty good with it, too."

Ace wasn't surprised. There was no way that wind just happened to surround her in giant bursts. There had to be something else involved. "Which fruit?"

"_Kaze Kaze no Mi_," Kohaku answered instantly. "It's the um, wind fruit, so she controls the wind and stuff. She found it when—"

"King's Breakfast," Eiichi said, he and a cook dropping a giant platter in front of Ace and Kohaku. On it was several eggs and what looked like an entire pig's worth of bacon and sausages, along with a slab of steak, a mountain of rice and half a dozen pancakes.

Ace clapped his hands together, and Kohaku copied him, the two boys grinning at each other. Neither of them had any utensils. "Ready, kiddo?"

"Ready," Kohaku confirmed and like starved animals, Ace and Kohaku proceeded into tearing apart the King's Breakfast.

It was probably the best breakfast that Ace had ever had. It was so full of different flavors; the eggs were a little seasoned so that they were spicy and the bacon was a little sweet, and—

Ace's face dropped to the table with a loud thump and made Kohaku jump. He swallowed the piece of bacon he was working on and glanced at Eiichi who looked just as concerned. Kohaku poked a thin finger into the older man's shoulder. "Uh, Ace? Ace?"

"What happened?" Eiichi asked, wide eyed. "Is something wrong with the food?"

"I don't know, I mean, I'm okay," the younger boy said, his voice a little high due to the worry growing in his chest. Kohaku shook the second division commander. "Ace—"

Ace seemed to spur, rising from the table and shaking his head. He yawned a little and then continued to shovel more food into his mouth with his bare hands.

"What was that?" Kohaku asked, still shocked.

"What was what?" Ace responded, pausing from eating for a moment to stare at the younger boy in confusion.

Kohaku shook his head and laughed. "Never mind," he said, letting the man get back to eating.

It was a monstrous sight. For meal made for five people, it was literally destroyed by one man and a ten-year-old child. Kohaku had given up halfway through, getting full after only eating a little over a serving for one person. Kohaku felt like he was going to explode, or maybe throw up all over the bar floor from all the food he consumed. Ace, however, was still going, a starved lion going to town on a helpless gazelle. People sitting next to them even stopped to stare, eyes wide like dinner plates.

At the end, Ace wiped his finger on the plate, licking off the last of the crumbs and patting his belly. He wiped his hands off on a towel. "Excellent breakfast," he told Eiichi, who pressed his lips together and just nodded slowly, wondering how Ace was even still alive. Ace hopped off the barstool and messed up Kohaku's hair. "What's on the agenda today, man?"

"What?" Kohaku asked as though snapping out of a trance. Watching Ace eat had been a little disgusting, but it was also quite captivating, considering how quickly and how much the man really did eat. Kohaku couldn't bring to tear his eyes away.

"You're showing me around the town today or something. I don't know, we can go wherever you want," Ace said. "Hope you didn't get in too much trouble last night," he added, remembering that Sora had stolen Kohaku away from the beach.

"Nah, she scolds me a lot, but it's okay. She said I was supposed to go to sleep, but she let me hang out with Jozu, Thatch, and Marco until I got tired, so it was cool," Kohaku said, brushing it off. "She just likes to have me in sight. I'm surprised she said we could hang out today."

"She doesn't normally do that?" Ace felt a pride swell in chest, overtaking the sticky bubble of jealousy.

"No, not really. Most of the time, I'm at the bar anyway. She's normally here, too; she works from open to close."

"You don't have friends your age to hang out with?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. They were leaving the bar now, greeted by the crisp morning breeze. Kohaku gestured to the left towards the beach, where the two continued walking.

"Oh, yeah, I do, but I only hang out with them sometimes. Sora seems calm-headed and stuff, but underneath it all, she's a big worrywart. I don't like to cause her trouble so I just don't go all the time."

Ace smiled. "You're pretty lucky, you know. I have a little brother, too, and I worry about him all the time."

Kohaku looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. He does whatever he wants, and I get upset at him for being reckless, but in the end, he's still my brother and I know I'm going to worry regardless. He knows that, too. Being the older sibling is a lot tougher than it seems. You have to _be _tough to protect your little bro, you know? I'm sure all her worrying is out of good intentions."

"I guess so," Kohaku shrugged, smiling a little from Ace's little talk.

"Where are we going anyway?" Ace asked.

The younger boy smiled. "Somewhere pretty cool."

Ace grinned at the boy's answer. Today was already looking to be a great day.

Ace actually enjoyed hanging out with Kohaku. He was ten, but he was fun to be with. Kohaku reminded Ace a lot of Luffy – free-spirited and the biggest dreamer he had ever met. They were leaving the village from the west now, and Kohaku seemed to remember something. "Check this out," he said, and lifted the sleeve of his shirt to show Ace a large brown scar. It was thick and ropey, like the wound he had gotten it from had cut through the muscle.

Ace raised his eyebrows. "Woah, where'd that come from?"

"These pirates raided our village a couple of years ago. I totally tried to fight, but it didn't work out so well," he said, laughing as though this was not a big deal. "_Aneki_ got mad at me."

"That's pretty brave of you."

"I wanted to protect the village, but she swooped in and saved the day," Kohaku said, lowering his sleeve.

Kohaku looked a little dejected, but Ace patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, one day you'll be strong enough to protect Sora. Until then, just let her do the fighting. She's a very strong woman."

Kohaku just nodded and stopped in his steps. "Well, here we are."

Ace looked out in front of him, noticing a large set of tide pools. They had walked to the beach, but when Ace looked back, the town was nowhere in sight. He hadn't realized they had come so far.

"I leave my stuff here," Kohaku said, rushing to a nearby palm tree to pick up a small bamboo fishing pole. He handed another one to Ace, who looked at it for a moment, and then watched Kohaku leap onto the rocks.

"Hey, be careful," he half-warned the younger boy, before kicking off his slippers and pulling off his tank top. Almost instantly, he joined Kohaku, grinning as they watched tiny fish swim around, the colorful marine life overtaking the tide pools.

Kohaku crouched down and dipped the end of his string into the water, waiting for one of the fish to bite.

"Dude, you don't need a pole to catch these guys," Ace told him, and pretended to roll up his sleeves. In one swift motion, he dunked his hands into the water, wrapping his hands around a fish. He lifted it out of the water to show Kohaku, but it flailed wildly, wriggling out his grasp and flipping back into the water.

Kohaku just laughed. "Yeah, right," the younger boy teased. He pointed at the sea cucumber resting on the bottom of the tide pool. "Those might be a little easier for you catch, _Hiken no _Ace."

"Hey, watch it," Ace said playfully, rolling his eyes. "You ever catch any fish to eat? I'm sure they could cook some back at Sora's bar."

"I catch some sometimes," Kohaku said, puffing out his cheeks.

"In other words, never," Ace clarified, smirking at Kohaku.

"Hey, I try to. I just feel kind of bad so I just let them go afterwards," Kohaku tried defending himself. "I have a bucket for my catches right there," he said, gesturing over to a white bucket by the palm tree where he kept his pole.

"You feel bad eating it? You live on an island. You must eat fish all the time."

"Yeah, but I don't catch _those_ fish. I feel bad, okay?" Kohaku said, blushing a little as Ace laughed. The younger boy shoved Ace playfully. "It's not funny, shut up."

"Why don't you just catch one and bring it home? Like a pet?"

Kohaku raised an eyebrow. "I don't think _Aneki_ would let me have a pet."

"But it's a fish."

"She doesn't care."

Ace laughed. "Come on, how about we catch a pet fish for you today? I'll vouch for you if Sora gets mad. Which would be ridiculous, since it's, you know, a fish."

Kohaku held his hands up in defeat. "Fine. We should catch two. They can be like brothers; I can take care of one and you can, too," Kohaku said, and then stopped himself for a moment. "I mean, for as long as you're here. I'll take care of it when you leave."

"How long does it take for the log to set, by the way?" Ace asked.

"I don't know," Kohaku answered. "The amount of time you guys stay differs each time you come. Sometimes it's two weeks and other times it's a few months. I don't know if it's about the log pose or anything. The Whitebeard crew just really likes it here."

"Oh," Ace said quietly. He found himself hoping that their stay wouldn't only be for two weeks.

Kohaku raised his eyebrows, and smirked like how he did in the bar. "Why? Want to stay for _Aneki_ or something?"

"What? No, I don't even know her," Ace replied quickly. This again? Why was he so obvious? He needed to change the subject. Again. "Uh, we should probably get bait for the poles. It makes catching the fish easier."

This time, however, Kohaku didn't ignore him. "But you want to," he added, and laughed. "It's okay. A lot of guys like my sister."

"I, just, uh, okay," was all Ace could really say, if that even counted as saying anything. Whenever it came to talking about Sora, he just stumbled over his words. He probably shouldn't talk about her anymore. Before he could stop himself, he blurted. "She's really beautiful. Kinda weird," he added, and Kohaku laughed at that. "But beautiful."

"You're not the only one that thinks so," Kohaku shrugged again. "Sora's really pretty, and strong, and brave, and weird sometimes. But that's one of her quirks, I guess. And she takes care of everyone on the island, so a lot of people admire her. We wouldn't be who we are without her. We probably wouldn't even be alive."

"Was she ever a pirate?" Ace asked, also dipping his pole into the water. Most devil fruit users were marines or pirates. But based on her tattoo, Ace assumed that if she ever did venture the seas, she was the latter.

Kohaku nodded. "Yeah, she was on Whitebeard's crew."

Ace should have probably known this, but for some reason, it didn't hit him until now. Fishman Island was also an island owned and protected by Whitebeard, but the mermen didn't go around tattooing themselves with Whitebeard's Jolly Roger. Whitebeard had many sons, but Ace didn't know that Whitebeard had a daughter.

Ace seemed to express his surprise in his voice. "She was?"

"Yeah," Kohaku said, furrowing his brows together as though this was common knowledge. "She was the old second division commander."

"Wow," Ace said quietly, nodding to himself. _The old second division commander_. No wonder she was so strong; she had been a commandeered a whole division. _ Ace's _division. It was probably why she got that look on her face when Ace mentioned adventures at sea. "Why is she here now?"

At this, Kohaku looked away and his voice softened. "Well, um, I don't know if it's really my place—"

Ace held up his hands and spoke quickly, sensing Kohaku's hesitation instantly. "No, it's okay. You don't have to tell me. I shouldn't be butting into her business."

Kohaku shook his head. "No, it's just…it's really not my place to say, you know?" The boy grinned again as though nothing happened. "_Aneki _can be a pretty private person, but you should just go ask her yourself. I'm sure that when she feels like she can trust you, she wouldn't mind telling you some stuff."

Ace laughed. "Maybe. I don't know, I feel like there's like, chemistry between us," he mused, and then shook his head, gazing down at the ten-year-old. "You must think I'm crazy. I've only known her for a day and a half."

"Nah, _Aneki _tends to have that effect on people," Kohaku said, not really seeming to mind that they were discussing his sister. "She's really cool about a lot of stuff. You know, fun to hang out with and makes fun of people and generally just tries to have a good time."

Laughing, Ace shook his head. "I hope you don't talk me up to her like this. It's kind of lame."

"That's totally not what I'm doing," Kohaku tried to defend himself, but Ace saw his expression faltering and laughed again. "What? _Aneki _just seems happier, that's all. I think it's because you remind her of—" Kohaku clamped his mouth shut, and Ace knew immediately that he was not supposed to pry. He pretended like it didn't happen.

"I think you have a bite," Ace said, changing the conversation back. Kohaku looked down and indeed, there was a fish wriggling the end of his line. The boy grinned and yanked the string out of the water, grinning at the rather large zebra fish. As a minnow, it was supposed to have been tiny, but it was the size of Kohaku's hand.

"Grab the bucket!" Kohaku said excitedly, and Ace burst up, hopping across the rocks to reach Kohaku's bucket. He stopped by the ocean to scoop up some water before carrying it back to the tide pools. Kohaku unhooked the fish and dropped it into the bucket, watching it swim around for a few moments. "How cool," he mused, smiling. "I hope Sora would be okay if we caught one for you, too."

"Yeah, dude, it's a fish. It'd make cool decoration for the bar too," Ace said, waving him off. He got up and ventured off to the tide pool nearest to the sea. He could feel the salty mist spray him as he crouched near the rock. He waved for Kohaku to come and pointed at a bright red fish in the pool when the younger boy arrived with the bucket. "I want that one."

Kohaku handed Ace his bamboo pole, but Ace shook his head and wriggled his fingers, staring at the fish. With lightning reflexes, Ace plucked the fish right out of the pool and practically threw it into the bucket. He lifted both of his arms in triumph. "Hell yeah!" he cried pumping his fist wildly. Kohaku just laughed, surprised that the fish didn't die from impact with the bucket.

"Wanna head back? There are other stuff we can do around the village, and we can start setting up a tank for the fish," Kohaku said, smiling. A wave crashed dangerously close to the rock Kohaku was standing on.

Ace nodded. It was probably better if they moved closer to the sand. "Yeah, okay, let's do that." The older man turned around to leave.

"Okay, well—" Kohaku started, but didn't get to finish, as a wave wiped the rocks, the sea practically dragging the younger boy back with it. Kohaku stumbled backwards as the wave receded. Had he not been holding the bucket, he probably would have regained his balance, but because his weight was off, the boy slipped.

"Shit!" Ace leapt forward, throwing the top half of his body off the edge of the rock, almost missing Kohaku's arm. Kohaku looked down at the sea roaring beneath him, and then back up at Ace with wide eyes.

"Ace," he called, his voice shaking. His other hand was holding onto the bucket so hard that his knuckles were white.

"I got you," Ace reassured him, and pulled the ten year old back up the rocks. He grabbed the bucket before helping Kohaku stand up again. "Come on," Ace said, still holding onto Kohaku's arm as he quickly led him off the rocks. Both boys collapsed onto the sand, letting out a sigh of relief.

"That was pretty scary," Kohaku said, laughing a little to lighten to mood. "Good thing you caught me, because I can't swim."

Ace raised both his eyebrows and nodded. "Funny, 'cause I can't either," he said, shoving Kohaku's face playfully. "Be careful."

"That wasn't even my fault!" Kohaku said, rolling his eyes. He sat up a little and noticed the sand stained with a light red. "Oops," he said, grinning.

Some of Kohaku's arm was skinned and cut from the rocks, and Ace rolled his eyes. His stomach was a little cut up also, but he didn't have an overprotective sister. "Damn, Sora is going to kill me, isn't she?"

Kohaku smiled sheepishly, seeming to agree. "You might want to put off talking to her more for a little." Ace wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"Totally killing my game, man," Ace teased.

The joke wasn't lost on Kohaku. The younger boy laughed loudly, over exaggerating. "Yeah, like you have any."

Ace shoved Kohaku's face again and both the boys stood up. Kohaku grabbed on to the bucket handle and they both headed back town to give the fish a tank. "We both almost died," Kohaku laughed as though that fact hadn't been a reality.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Yeah, for fish."

Kohaku raised his eyebrows and corrected Ace, "Pet fish."

Ace and Kohaku had spent the entire day out. They had bought a tank for the fish, dropped in some sand and scooped up water from the beach, dumping the fish in. Kohaku used some of his allowance to buy a nifty little homemade bubble-maker from a shop nearby so that the water would have oxygen. The tank was placed right behind the bar for everyone to see. Kohaku grinned every time he looked at it.

Once again, Ace noticed the overturned picture frame as he had set up the tank. But Kohaku had moved it before Ace could see what it was. He decided that was best for now; he shouldn't be meddling in someone else's business. But he couldn't help but let his eyes drift to it every now and then.

The younger boy had tired early – probably still a little traumatized from their near-death experience in the morning – so Ace had put him to bed a while ago. The Sky Pub was almost empty, and he was sitting alone at the bar, sipping from a cold beer.

"Damn, really, I can't believe that—" Ace turned at the sound of a woman's voice to see Sora and Marco enter the bar. Sora had tied her hair out of her face and her skin was a little dirty from the hike. She was carrying her boots in one hand and her bag in the other. She was still beautiful, regardless of her tired state, but the only thing that Ace noticed as Marco's arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, hey," she greeted, stopping midsentence and shuffling out from under Marco's arm. "I would have thought you crashed out already. Is Kohaku okay?"

"You were with Kohaku today?" Marco asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, he went to bed a while ago," Ace answered. "It was a lot of fun. I don't mind hanging out with him whenever you two go on hikes." He definitely didn't mean for that last part to sound bitter, but that's definitely how it sounded. He immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his lips.

But, thankfully, Marco didn't take it that way. "That's neat. Kohaku's actually a lot more shy than it seems. It's cool that you two have bonded," he said. Ace didn't believe it. Kohaku, who had been teasing Ace all day about not having any game, was shy? Definitely not. Marco kissed Sora's temple and Ace felt that sticky bubble blowing up in his chest again. "Gonna shower real quick and head to sleep. I had fun today, Sora. Let's do it again before I leave."

"I'll try to find time," she said, but Marco was already heading towards the stairs.

He waved slightly. "You better make time," he replied playfully, and his footsteps already faded away. Shortly after, Sora and Ace heard the shower come on.

Within the time that Sora and Marco had come back, the bar had emptied out, leaving a few tables with empty mugs and plates behind. Ace raised his eyebrows and held out his mug of beer. "Wanna have a drink with me?"

She smiled tiredly and shook her head as she moved towards the dirty dishes to clear the tables. "Nah, maybe next time, studly. I'm pretty tired from the hike."

"But you have energy to clean the dishes," Ace noticed, Sora piling the mugs and plates behind the bar.

"I can't just leave them there." She turned and noticed the giant fish tank. She furrowed her eyebrows together. "What is this?"

"Fish tank. Kohaku and I went to go catch fish today," Ace said, smiling.

But, like Ace had expected, Sora wasn't mad at all. She just laughed. "That's neat. Now he has something to keep him busy. Sounds like you guys had fun."

"Yeah," Ace said, grinning. He finished off his beer and Sora swept the mug off the table to wash. "He's a really nice kid."

Sora chuckled a little, facing her back to Ace to start washing the dishes near the sink next to the fish tank. "Yeah, he is. I'm really glad that you guys had fun today."

"Yeah, so what'd you do today?"

"I told you already. I went hiking with Marco."

"Is that all?"

Sora turned around, leaning against the sink and raised her eyebrows. "No, we rode a dragon deep into the mountain and made passionate love atop a sycamore tree as white doves flew all around us and there was a light rain and a double rainbow," she replied sarcastically. "Yes, we only hiked, you nosy parker."

Ace laughed a little, holding his hands up. "I don't know, I was just asking. Kohaku mentioned some stuff about you and Marco," Ace said, leaving out the part where Kohaku confirmed that Sora did not have feelings for the older man. He just wanted to see Sora's reaction.

"What did Kohaku say about me and Marco?" she challenged, turning back around to finish the dishes.

Ace shrugged. "I don't know. That's just between me and him. Otherwise, our trust would be broken forever."

"Oh, shut up, you line stealer," Sora laughed. "And for your information, Marco and I are just very good friends."

"Hmm," Ace hummed, shrugging, pretending that he was skeptical. He was actually quite satisfied with her reaction. No panicking, and very honest; Kohaku was right after all.

"What, you don't believe me?" she asked, finishing the dishes and wiping her hands on a nearby towel. She turned around, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ace shook his head and shrugged at the same time. "I don't know, I mean, hiking can be a pretty intimate activity. You don't just go alone with someone to go hiking unless you're doing the _do_."

"Doing the—oh, fine, you and I can go on a hike and I'll show you what exactly friends do on this so-called 'intimate' activity," Sora said, rolling her eyes.

"Great," Ace responded, getting exactly what he wanted. He had definitely played his cards right on this one. "So, I get to put my arm around you and kiss you on the head, too, right?"

Sora stepped out from behind the bar and playfully smacked Ace on the arm. "Oh, stop. We can go on a hike tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I mean, I didn't even know that we were even friends yet," Ace said, furrowing his brows together in feigned confusion. "I mean, we do room together, but total, I've only known you for like, two days. I think we should have a pre-hike activity to establish the fact that we are just friends first, before you show me what 'friends' really do."

Sora narrowed her eyes, but her lips were curled into a little smile. "Fine." Ace was surprised at how easy this was, but he definitely wasn't going to complain. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'll get back to you on that," Ace said, truly needing a little bit of time to think about what exactly he wanted to do. He had won himself two chances, if he messed up either one, his chances of wooing Sora would drop substantially. Sure, it was easy to talk her into things, but if she decided that she didn't like his company, then Ace had a feeling it'd be a lot more difficult. Women never told men straight up that they don't like them, they'll just make up excuses not to do something, and Ace absolutely did not want to be _that _man.

"Okay, well, then you let me know, studly," Sora said, turning her back to him and waving as she headed upstairs. "Close up, okay? I'm gonna go take a shower."

"But Marco's in the shower," Ace reminded her.

The turned her head and winked playfully. "Got a problem?" she teased, and at that moment, the water went out, signaling that Marco had finished taking a bath. Ace rolled his eyes at her, and Sora just giggled. "I was kidding," she told him.

"Yeah, yeah, see you upstairs," he told her, shooing her away.

Sora's tinkling laughter rang through his ears as she disappeared up the stairs.

Ace forgotten again that he should have probably told Sora that he was also going to be heading upstairs. But he just locked the door and flicked off the lights like how he had the night before; Sora hadn't mentioned anything about it so he assumed that it was okay. He pushed open the door to the room he shared with her, feeling the cold wind through the balcony window. He raised his body temperature, warming the room slightly, before hopping into bed.

Kohaku wasn't there anymore, and he vaguely remembered someone coming to pick him up to drag the sleepy boy out of Sora's room. Someone would have said something if that was odd, so Ace just waved to the young boy as he left.

He didn't even know how long he had been staring at the ceiling until the door opened again, Sora coming in with her hair damp and dressed in a baggy shirt and pajama pants. She was wearing her glasses again, and tossed her old clothes into a basket near her bed.

"Yo," she greeted, smiling at Ace as she passed, and lay on her bed. She immediately took her glasses off and flicked off the lights. She spoke into the darkness. "So, you and Kohaku really bonded today, huh?"

Ace turned his head to see that Sora was staring at the ceiling, too. "Yeah. He reminds me a lot of my little brother."

Sora chuckled. "Kohaku can be silly sometimes. I'm glad he likes you." She turned her head to look at Ace and shot him a smirk. "As his sister, I guess that means I'm supposed to like you, too, huh?"

"That'd be cool," Ace said, smiling back at her.

She laughed. "Really, though. Thank you, Ace."

The way she said his name, like it was something sacred, something secret, rolling off her tongue like a whisper. It sent shivers down his spine. "Yeah, it was really no problem."

Ace heard the sound of her shuffling the blanket around, turning over. She let out a quiet yawn. "I'm pretty beat. See you tomorrow. Maybe a dream will come to you about what you want your pre-hike activity to be."

Ace smiled, and closed his eyes. "Maybe," he said into the night. "Good night, Sora."


	4. Chapter 4: Dinner

It was his freckles.

Not to way his flashed his charming, crooked grin, not the way that time slowed when their eyes locked, not the way his ebony hair fell into his eyes, not his chiseled body, or even his sense of humor.

It was just his freckles.

Sure, all of those other things were great. Sora's chest tightened when he smiled, and the background blurred when he caught his gaze, and perhaps that time he had walked in with nothing but a towel and she made like she was pretending to check him out wasn't really pretending. But the part of him that really got her was his freckles. She felt like she was eighteen again, looking up at—

No, she couldn't think about that anymore. Not now. She had worked so hard, pushed so much to try and move on with her life. She had almost succeeded, too, until Ace had appeared, suddenly a part of the Whitebeard Pirates, and reminded her of what she had lost.

It wasn't like she hadn't heard of him. All the Whitebeard Pirates who had bounties had their posters on the walls of the Sky Pub. She had heard of _Hiken no _Ace even before that, when he had been offered the position of a _Shichibukai_. But from then, just looking at his picture, the first thing she noticed was his freckles. She thought that maybe he wouldn't show up to the island along with Whitebeard, but of course, he did. And so Sora was, once again, putting on a façade.

The morning sunlight dripped into her room as she pulled on a loose tank top and shorts, tying her thick black hair back. She turned around, to face the bed on the opposite side of her nightstand, to watch the second division commander snore. She smiled to herself, noticing that the only part of his body covered by the blanket were his feet. The rest of his body was splayed out on the bed, claiming it as his.

Sora watched the way the light hit his body, accentuated his muscles, and causing his hair to shimmer. He looked so peaceful, but so strong at the same time. She shut her eyes, forcing herself to stop staring at him and turned around again, letting out a quiet sigh.

"Why are you always up so early?" she heard Ace groan. She turned, seeing him roll around to look at her, his eyes still glazed with sleep.

She laughed, putting her hands on her hips. "It's not even early."

"If it's not lunch time, it's early," Ace told her, smiling tiredly at Sora.

"I got stuff to do, studly," Sora told him. "Hanging out with Marco, you know, that kind of stuff," she finished with a laugh.

Ace groaned loudly and rolled over again so his giant purple Whitebeard tattoo was staring straight at her. Sora just giggled, making her way over to his bed to shove Ace's back playfully. "Stop it, you. We're just going to go shopping for things for the bar. We need groceries, and new dishes, and—"

Ace rolled over again to face her. "Go to dinner with me."

"Are we asking or are we commanding?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Commanding," Ace joked, propping himself up on his arms.

She laughed, crossing her arms over her chest and started for the door. "No dice."

"Okay, asking," Ace called after her, changing his mind. He sat up.

She put a hand over her ear. "I didn't hear a question."

"Fine. Will you, Sora-something, accompany me to dinner tonight?" he asked, sitting up straight and flashing her a grin.

"Sora-something?"

"I don't remember your last name," he informed her, and she laughed.

"De Belleville."

"De Belleville Sora, I would be sort of honored, I guess, to take you to dinner of a place of your choosing since I don't know this place," Ace tried again, only causing Sora to laugh again.

Sora made a face as though Ace had hit a strike, scrunching her face jokingly. "Ooh, that was pretty lame. Have you ever even taken a girl out before?"

"What's the right answer?" Ace asked, still smiling at her.

"The honest one."

"Yes, I have," he said, trailing off. Ace locked eyes with the woman, and added, "But none of them were as weird as you."

She laughed, waving him off. "Oh, I'm blushing," Sora teased, and then she sighed in feigned exasperation, and Ace knew he had won. "Okay, fine, after Marco and I do our thing, we'll come back and go to dinner."

"Is Marco coming?"

She raised her eyebrows, cocking her hip. "Do you want him to come to dinner?"

Ace's answer was quick and precise, "No."

"Okay, then he's not coming."

"I'm feeling like ramen tonight. But you'd have to take me there."

"You're paying."

"So, is this like a date?"

"Do you want it to be?"

"Yes."

Startled by his answer, Sora didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth to try and speak, but couldn't think of a comeback. She flailed mentally. Sora hadn't expected Ace to actually answer the question. It was rhetorical. Did he not think it was rhetorical? They were supposed to be going out as friends, what was all of this about a date suddenly? What—

"Ope, just kidding," Ace said, holding his hands up. "Not a date, I was just kidding. Ha, ha, let's laugh now because this is awkward and I don't want you to cancel." He said, waving his hands as he laughed, actually saying "ha, ha" as he did so.

Sora giggled at Ace's attempt to save the conversation. She regained control of her tongue. "Ah, okay. Date then," she said, and Ace's face lit up with confusion and happiness swirling together. She held up a finger, letting him know she wasn't done talking. "Date as friends."

Ace's expression dropped, and he made a face at her. "That doesn't even make sense."

"It's like, two friends going on a date," Sora said, not even sure what she was saying herself.

"I thought this was to establish that we are friends first."

"You're the one that said it was a date."

"I _asked_ if it was a date."

"I answered."

"With a question. That's grammatically incorrect. I hope you're not teaching Kohaku this stuff," he added, grinning at her.

"Okay, fine, no date then."

Ace furrowed his brows together and squinted his eyes. "What? You just said it was."

"But you said earlier that you were kidding, so that totally nulls what I said."

Ace sighed, sounding genuinely disappointed. "Sora. Stop these games. Why don't you just admit that you want some?" he teased, pointing both of his index fingers at himself, receiving an eye roll from the older woman.

"Sora?" Marco called from downstairs. Sora turned to the sound of her name being called.

"Sorry, dear peasant, but I must take my leave. My knight is calling to me," she teased, feigning an accent while Ace rolled his eyes, both at her statement about Marco and at the fact that she called Ace a peasant.

"Shut up."

She picked up a small tote off the floor and slung it over her arm. "See you tonight, studly."

"Wait, so date or no date?" he called after her as she opened the door.

She turned back and smiled. "Haven't decided yet," she said, winking lightheartedly. "Byeeeeee, be a good booooy, stay out of trooouble," she trailed off, waving her hand in wide, slow motions as though Ace were two years old.

"Bye," he said, rolling his eyes. The door closed quietly behind her.

Ace, in the room, plopped down on his bed, letting out a breath. That had almost not gone well. He couldn't help but grin. He wanted to get in her head. Not because he wanted to play her, but because he wanted to just _know _her.

He wanted to know everything about her – her likes and dislikes, fears, and dreams, _everything_ that comprised her existence – but he knew he didn't stand a chance when Sora was friends with so many of Whitebeard's crew. He realized that she would probably hang out with Marco a lot, and Thatch, and spend time with Jozu, and _Oyaji_ himself, or maybe some of the other division commanders, like Vista, and Fossa, and Izou…Ace sighed again. He had no idea how long they would even be here, and if she was always with the other men of the crew, how was Ace supposed to even get a chance to talk to her besides the brief conversations they had when she came home or before she left? He needed to get in her head because he needed _her _to want to spend time with him. He needed her to choose him every time. And if she was asked if she would do it all over again, Ace needed her to say yes.

But for now, Ace had done good. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled, allowing all of his anxiety to flow out of him. He rolled over, feeling the cool breeze against his back. He closed his eyes, ready to fall back asleep. Now all he needed to do was wait.

On the other side of the door, Sora was also chasing her breath. What the _hell_ did she just do? She had just been telling herself that no, it wasn't his smile, or his sense of humor, but she had just fallen for both of those things and was not having dinner with a man she couldn't possibly dare to even get close to. Yes, she wanted to be friends, _nakama_, even, but she couldn't afford anything more intimate than that.

What was she even thinking? They were just going out as friends. She was making too big a deal out of this whole 'date' business. Sora closed her eyes for a moment. She needed to guard. She couldn't let Ace get in her head. It wasn't that he was aggressive about it, because he wasn't; it was just that she knew that she couldn't constantly think about Ace. The last time she had become involved with a man, she had been crushed and four years later, she was still struggling to recover. She couldn't become that weak again. She had people she needed to protect. Sora needed to fight the voice in her heart that whispered for her to bring down her walls and get to know another human being again.

Swallow a lump in her throat, and plastering her façade on, Sora opened her eyes and moved, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she walked down the stairs to where Marco was waiting for her. "Yo," she greeted as though the incident with Ace hadn't happened at all.

"I was wondering why you were taking so long," the blonde told her, smiling kindly from the barstool he was seated on. "You wake up late?"

No, Ace's sleeping form had distracted Sora from leaving the room. And Ace's awakened form had also distracted Sora from leaving the room. "Yup, sorry."

"That's pretty unlike you," Marco teased, and hopped off the chair. "Ready to go?"

She smiled and nodded, following Marco towards the bar's exit. He pushed opened the door for her, and together, they walked towards the town square, where they would be shopping.

The village was bustling, people chatting in the streets and heading for the market, some returning from the town square as well. Marco looked up, needing to shield his eyes from the sun.

The sun. For the past few years, Marco knew for a fact that it was rare for the sun to ever really be visible. The island was normally covered in an overcast of clouds. It wasn't cold and rainy, but it wasn't conditions for a perfect beach day everyday. But now the sun was out, shining its light onto the entire island. It seemed to brighten the spirits of everyone. He hadn't been too surprised when it was sunny a few days ago, upon the Whitebeard Pirates' first arrival, but normally, the overcast returned within several days, as Sora pretended to smile.

But Marco could see it; he could see the corners of her eyes crinkling when she laughed. Her dimples showed when she smiled, too. Sora had always been a little quirky, but less so these past few years. However, now it was back, and Marco saw in her the woman he had fallen in love with a long time ago, even before—

"How's rooming with Thatch?" Sora asked, snapping Marco out of his thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, well it's nothing new. We live together practically everyday anyway," Marco shrugged. He smirked at the younger girl. "How's rooming with Ace?"

Marco expected Sora to just shrug and put on that face like she didn't care. She did this, but oddly enough, Marco saw the sliver of a smile pulling at the corners of her thin lips. "It's been good. He's nice."

"That's good to hear," Marco told her.

"Yeah, we're going to dinner tonight, too," she slipped in, shrugging as though this were a little event. Dinner? Marco knew Sora. He knew that she normally ate dinner alone because she knew that it could become an intimate activity and God forbid, whenever those so-called 'intimate' moments happen, Sora just flees in the other direction, or puts up walls so high no one can even see the top. For the past four years, Sora just ate the evening meal by herself. Even when they hiked the previous day, they had stopped for dinner at a little yakitori shack, but Sora hadn't eaten a thing. Now she was having dinner with Ace?

"That's interesting." Marco voiced his thoughts aloud, raising his eyebrows.

Sora looked up at him, her big blue eyes capturing his own. "Why?"

Another thing about Sora was that a lot of the time, she pretended not to know how she was. She pretended like everything was okay, or like she didn't know that she ran from emotional situations. "No, nothing," Marco said, shaking his head. "It's good that you and Ace get along, since he's new and everything."

"Yeah, he's nice," she said again. "Anyway," Sora added, changing the subject. Marco let himself forget about Ace and Sora, deciding to enjoy the time that he was spending with her. They had become very close in the past few years, and he appreciated that much of the time he was on the island was spent with her. It wasn't always alone together – some of the other commanders and crewmen often joined them with drinks or meals – but Marco appreciated it nonetheless.

Marco joined Sora into picking out vegetables and meat for her bar's food. The ingredients at the Sky Pub were refreshed at every meal. Kohaku and Jozu had gone out for the breakfast shift, so Marco and Sora were doing the lunch and dinner shift. Sora was carrying bags and bags of food in her hands and Marco's arms were also full of ingredients. Marco was half-afraid that the tiny girl would fall over from the overload of baggage.

"Think we got enough?" she asked with a grin.

Marco chuckled. "More than enough."

The two shared a laugh and Marco followed her back to the bar, smiling all the way.

"Hey, bro, guess who landed a date tonight?" Ace called out to Kohaku. He leaned against the wall and pointed his thumbs at himself, smirking, and the younger boy just laughed.

"Really." Kohaku's voice was laced with skepticism. "Imaginary girl or no?"

"Sora, you jerk," Ace told him, pushing himself off the wall. He rustled Kohaku's hair as he passed.

"Wait, seriously?" Kohaku followed after the older man, hopping down the stairs. This was unbelievable. "You asked her on a date? And she said yes?"

"Well," Ace started, thinking back on the conversation. He squinted his eyes to emphasize that he was thinking. The last thing he wanted was Kohaku getting out of hand, and then spreading rumors, and Sora freaking out or getting upset. "I asked her to dinner."

Kohaku leapt onto a barstool. "And she said yes?"

"Well," Ace said again. It was like the conversation was archived in a special folder in Ace's brain. "She didn't say the _word _yes, but she said 'okay, fine', and that counts, right?"

Kohaku rolled his eyes and laughed. "For your sake, I hope so."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"_Aneki_ doesn't go on dates," Kohaku answered simply, shrugging. He was now uninterested in the topic, as though he was the one talking to a child. "She just doesn't. If she says she hasn't decided or something like that, it means definitely not, but she's just trying to be nice."

Ace frowned. "You're killing me here."

"I'm just saying," the blonde said, ordering a glass of orange juice and a sandwich from the bar. Ace had slept past lunchtime, and he had yet to see Sora. "Just be happy if she doesn't bail out at the last second."

"She wouldn't do that," Ace said, waving Kohaku off. He paused and raised an eyebrow. "Right?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen her all day. I think she's with Marco again."

"Buying food and dishes for the bar."

"They did that already," Kohaku informed Ace. "They came back a little while ago, dropped off the stuff, and left again."

"Oh," was all Ace could say. He had a churning feeling in his stomach and his chest tightened. Sora wouldn't ditch out on their dinner, right? Sure, Ace had joked that it was a date, but he didn't feel like he pressured her into it. If she really was uncomfortable with it, then it didn't need to be one. He probably should have told her that this morning.

"_Aneki_ normally works at the bar all day, too," Kohaku added, receiving his juice and taking a sip. "But she's been hanging out with Marco these past two days so she hasn't been in."

"Oh."

"But, I don't know, I mean, she could come, so you should just get ready to go out when she comes back."

Ace just remained silent. He didn't want to look like a fool, waiting on plans with a woman who had forgotten about him because she was hanging out with another man. But what if she did show up? He didn't want to _not _be there; it would look like he was standing her up. What time was "dinner" anyway? Some people ate at seven, others ate at midnight – and she was out with Marco right now so it wasn't like he could ask her. They could be anywhere. When Ace first arrived, he thought the village was small, but he realized that it had to be much larger than he assumed, as it needed to house over 1,600 pirates, _and _villagers. The fact that everyone knew each other was much more impressive now.

So Ace just waited. His mind wandered, and so did he. Throughout the day, he moved from hanging out with Kohaku, to drifting over to sit and drink a few bowls of sake with Whitebeard, to chatting with Jozu and Izou and the other crewmen. He had gone upstairs several times, rolled around in bed, taken a nap, came back downstairs, walked around town, stopped by the beach, and came back to the Sky Pub. When he glanced at the clock, the whole day had gone by; it was nearly nine. He just sighed and perched himself next to Whitebeard.

"Where's, ah, Marco?" Ace asked his captain.

The giant man looked down at his second division commander. "I don't know."

"Awesome. Just awesome," Ace mumbled to himself, finishing off his sake bowl. He looked up at Whitebeard. "Want another? It's on me."

The man's laughter rumbled through the bar, and Ace took that as an agreement. He called over Eiichi. "Yeah, two more of those," Ace said, gesturing to Whitebeard's massive sake bowl.

"Both for the captain?" Eiichi asked, scribbling it down on a piece of paper.

"One for me," Ace told him. "Oh, and I'll take some cheese fries or something, I don't know, something greasy." Eiichi nodded, and left, returning to the bar to take Ace's order back.

"Hey, did you even get ready or what?" asked a voice, and Ace glanced up from the table to see Sora standing over him.

"What?" Ace asked, furrowing his brows. He had been drinking all day and the nap hadn't exactly made the side effects disappear. Ace could handle his liquor, but he just needed a little while to chill and sober up.

"What do you mean, what?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were going to dinner? Or did you forget?" She sighed and rolled her eyes, realizing that he was intoxicated. "I guess you did. Okay, well, I look like an idiot," she added, shaking her head as she started to walk away.

"Oy," Ace called, leaping out of the booth and catching Sora's wrist. The woman instantly yanked her arm out fiercely, her eyebrows creasing inward. Ace blinked several times, his vision clearing up slightly.

"Yeah, you don't get to _oy _me," Sora informed him, smiling dryly.

"Let's go out to eat," Ace said, ignoring her sharp tone.

The older woman scoffed. "No, you're drunk, so it's fine," she said, and shook her head. Ace saw her eyes darken, thunderclouds encroaching on a clear summer day. Ace's chest tightened and he prepared himself. "Unbelievable, because _you're_ the one that wanted to hang out _so _badly. Whatever, I'll be back later to clean up the bar."

She turned to leave again but Ace didn't let her. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, taking her by surprise. "I didn't forget. It got late and I thought you weren't coming back for me."

"The best ramen place here opens at nine," Sora told him, her face emotionless. "It's an overnight shop."

Ace furrowed his brows and shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that? I've only been here for like three days." He saw Sora sigh and blow the hair out of her face, crossing her arms over her chest. She rolled her eyes and then averted them, as though knowing she had made a mistake. Ace put a hand on her shoulder, gentler this time. "Come on, I'm still hungry. We should grab dinner."

She raised both of her eyebrows, her eyes clearing up like the sky after a storm. The weight on Ace's chest floated away; the worst was over. "Okay. Fine. But I don't like drunk men."

"Not drunk," Ace told her, stretching his arms out and placing the tips of his fingers on his nose. He repeated this several times as proof. But Sora didn't take it.

"I'll go with you but you have to drink my alcohol remedy," she offered.

"Yeah, okay," Ace replied instantly, shrugging. How bad could it be? Ace was a _pirate_. He didn't suffer from hangovers, and he ate and drank everything in sight. This was an easy way to get Sora to agree to going with him again.

Sora seemed surprised by his answer. "Are you sure?" she asked one more time, slipping past him to get behind the bar.

"Yeah." Ace didn't hesitate. Tonight had been a misunderstanding, but Sora actually showed up. Kohaku had been wrong after all. And Ace was grateful that she was here. He just wanted to make her smile and if drinking her little alcohol remedy was going to magically make it like nothing ever happened, then he would be more than happy to oblige.

"Okay, studly," Sora said, and disappeared behind the bar. Ace leaned against the counter, letting out an exasperated sigh. Today had almost been a disaster. If dinner had messed up, then the hike would probably be out of the question as well.

Sora reappeared within moments, in her hand a tall glass filled with dark liquid. She placed it in front of Ace, the glass connected with the wooden counter making a dull thud. She stuck a straw into it and Ace watched as the little plastic seemed to just be swallowed, like a tiny animal, dying slowly in a venomous swamp. Ace could also smell it from his position and squinted his eyes, fearful that the stench would actually burn out his eyeballs. "What the hell is that?" he said, making a face at the glass.

"Alcohol remedy." That was the last thing Ace wanted to hear.

"And you want me to _drink _that sludge." It wasn't a question. Ace was simply reviewing Sora's request.

"If you want to go out and eat ramen," Sora said airily, shrugging.

Ace kept his eyes squinted, gazing at the woman through slits. "But I'm not drunk."

Sora's answer was instant. "Okay, fine, we don't need to go eat dinner then."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Ace groaned, glancing down at the glass. "What's in this anyway? Rotten fish and swamp water?"

Sora laughed, and held a thin finger to her lips. "It's a secret."

Ace picked up the glass and pulled out the straw, dropping the now-heavy plastic onto the table. Ace was half worried that Sora's drink would actually burn through the wood on the table. "If I die, then my spirit will haunt you forever."

"Terrified," Sora stated, her voice monotone. She pretended to glance at her watch – and Ace noticed that she didn't even _have _a watch – and turned her big blue eyes back to look at Ace. "I'm pretty hungry, but I'm perfectly fine eating alone, you know."

"Shut up, I'm preparing," Ace said, and took a deep breath, staring hard at the glass as though it were his mortal enemy. Then in one swift motion, he pulled the glass to his lips and tilted his head back, pouring the liquid into his mouth. In one long sip, he finished the entire glass, slamming it down onto the table.

Sora giggled as Ace coughed and struggled to keep everything he consumed within the last three days inside of him and not on the floor of Sora's bar. To help, he held his hand over his mouth, coughing with his mouth closed. It tasted like…socks. Like old, smelly, moldy socks were mashed up in a bowl of stale bananas and pig's blood and ground in a blender, and that mixture of death was now plummeting down Ace's throat. Even after he swallowed several times, trying to get the taste of feet out of his mouth, the drink had been so thick that he was only getting remnants of the liquidized-feet to try and wash out more feet.

Ace looked up again and Sora was holding a glass of orange juice. Ace snatched it and down the whole glass. He swallowed, and kept his head tilted up to make sure that nothing would come back out. The orange juice seemed to settle his stomach. He coughed a little, and then flashed Sora a charming grin. "Ready," he told her, giving her a thumbs up.

She laughed, coming around to the front of the bar. "You sure you don't need to throw up? I'll only point and laugh a little. If it'll make you feel better, I'll tell the whole town tomorrow."

"I'm good," Ace reassured her, following her out of the bar. And even though he could have sworn he had just drunk dirty laundry, Ace couldn't have been happier.


	5. Chapter 5: Ramen & Ice Cream

A/N: I was listening to Supercell the other day and I thought that there was a great "theme song" for Sora. It's called _Owari he Mukau Hajimari no Uta_, from their new album Today is a Beautiful Day. It's a short song, about two minutes long, but I thought it was beautiful. Here's the link for the song if anyone is interested in listening: .com/watch?v=f9K2lM8DA78 Thanks for reading!

"Your drink was disgusting, but definitely worth it. I'm glad we still get to hang out tonight," Ace said, not realizing that his tone had become a little gentler.

"Yeah," was all Sora said, keeping her back to him. But her voice also got a bit quieter.

Ace caught up to her so that they were walking together. "Sorry if you feel like, you know, I pressured you into thinking this was a date or something. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Nah," Sora said, waving him off and pretending like she hadn't spent majority of the day thinking about it. It was true that she had returned to her bar after shopping with Marco in the morning but she couldn't work; her mind was too jittery, she couldn't focus. So, she had left again with Marco to go and visit Michio, the owner of Ramen-Ya.

"You have a date?" the older man asked. Michio was a tall rugged man in his early forties that ran the best ramen shop on the island. However, it was only open at night, as he spent most of the day caring for his twin sons. His wife had died over ten years ago, giving birth to his sons.

"My thoughts exactly," Marco said, playfully slapping Sora on the back.

She choked a little on her glass of water and shook her head. "No! What? Why is this suddenly a date? I don't even know the guy. We live together, yeah, so what, I live with you, too, Marco, and Thatch and Jozu."

Michio made noises like he didn't believe her, tilting his head from side to side as he kept his shoulders shrugged. "He seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah, so he wanted to hang out as friends."

"He asked you to dinner. Come on, Sora, you're like twenty-two now, can you really be that naïve? This Ace fellow seems to be diggin' the show," Michio responded, which caused Marco to laugh and Sora to roll her eyes.

"It's not a date. We're going as friends," Sora said, making up her mind about what she was going to tell Ace if he asked her if tonight was a date. She couldn't stand this ridicule. "Or, whatever, I don't know, I'll just cancel."

"Ah, now look at you," Michio said, patting her on the head. "Your feathers are all ruffled. Stop that. Don't cancel, stupid, bring the guy tonight and eat."

"I—" Sora started, but Michio interrupted her.

"No buts. Just do it," he told her. He grinned at the younger woman and sighed with a feigned admiration. "How long's it been since our Sora has been out with a man? I was beginning to worry that you might've swung the other way and become a lesbian. Not that I'd mind watching some of that action," he added with a wink.

"Shut up," Sora said, rolling her eyes at Michio.

"Where is this ramen place anyway?" Ace asked, snapping Sora out of her mini-flashback.

"It's owned by a friend," Sora said, pointing at a shop down the road. It was an outdoor set up, with a counter that enclosed the cooking space, barstools set up around it. Sheets of cotton were hung on all sides, reading _kanji _characters for virtues like strength, honor, and integrity. The cotton on the front of the store, however, the side facing the street, read 'RAMEN-YA', which simply meant "ramen shop".

"SORAAA," bellowed one of the chefs, seeing Sora approaching from twenty feet away. He had a white bandana tied around his forehead, and had an apron tied around his waist. The

older man waved broadly, as though Sora didn't hear him calling from the other side of the road.

The woman sighed, burying her face in her hands. Ace laughed. "I take it that's the owner?" Sora just nodded, still hiding her face. Why was Michio making a scene?

They reached the counter and the man grinned at Ace and Sora. He dropped a strainer with noodles into a pot of water, dusted his hands off, and held it out to Ace. "Ryouri Michio," he introduced.

"Portgas D. Ace," the younger man responded, taking Michio's hand in a firm handshake.

"Oh, the second division commander," Michio mused. Sora was sitting already, firing daggers at Michio with her eyes. But the chef was unfazed. "Sora was the second division commander, too."

"I know," Ace said, sitting next to Sora, turning to smile at her. She instantly wiped the glare from her face – she didn't want Ace to know she was going to kill Michio later –and furrowed her brows.

"How'd you know?" she asked. She didn't remember telling Ace about that.

"Kohaku."

Sora sighed. "Of course. That boy cannot keep his mouth shut."

"Ace, you wanna see her poster?" Michio piped, gesturing to a slip of paper posted on a pillar nearby.

It was Sora's wanted poster, tinted a little browner than the newer ones due to age. If Ace hadn't read the name that was written in bold letters he wouldn't have even known that poster was Sora's. Her hair was super short and straight, cut in a bob that framed her face, versus her naturally wavy hair presently. She still had the same side-swept bangs, and her head was tilted up slightly as she smiled mischievously, one hand lifted with her finger looking like she was just about to beckon and say, "Come at me!" Since it was just a shot of her torso, Ace noticed that the photo had been taken when she had already gotten the Whitebeard Jolly Roger tattooed on her arm, and also noticed she was only wearing a bikini top, exposing most of her fair, unblemished skin. Around her neck were tiny metal rods that varied in size, and her left arm had several bands lining her lean biceps.

"You were hot," Ace said, raising his eyebrows. He turned to face Sora. "Not that you're not hot now, it's just that you look like you have boobs in that picture," he added, grinning at the woman, who rolled her eyes. He gestured back at the poster. "Nice bounty. 210,000 Beli? Pretty good."

"Pretty good?" Sora reiterated, cocking one eyebrow. "Pretty _great_."

"Yep, _Fuurin __no_ Sora," Michio recalled.

"_Fuurin_? That's cute. Why were you the 'wind chimes'?" Ace asked.

"Don't act like you don't know," Sora said, rolling her eyes. "Kohaku told you about my fruit didn't he?" Ace grinned, guilty. He had wanted to hear it from Sora also, but that hadn't worked. "Oh, you are so nosy."

"Oy, he just wants to know more about you," Michio chimed in again, handing Ace and Sora menus.

"Exactly," Ace agreed, flashing her a grin. "I want to know everything."

"Nosy," Sora repeated, flattening her palm into Ace's face and shoving it playfully. Sora handed Michio the menu back without looking at it. "Kotteri ramen," she told him.

"Is that good?" Ace asked, eyes shooting cursory glances over his menu, not even reading the words, just looking at the pictures.

"It's our special," Michio informed Ace.

"Okay, then three bowls of that," Ace ordered, handing the menu back. Michio had to pause for a moment to make sure that he had heard correctly.

"Three?" Michio raised an eyebrow.

"Really? The bowls are big here. I can only finish one," Sora told Ace. "And weren't you eating and drinking all day already?"

"There is _always_ room for food," Ace said, patting Sora on the head teasingly as though she were a misunderstood child. She swatted his hand away. He nodded at Michio. "Three Kotteri ramen, please. Oh, and a couple orders of gyoza. Like, five orders? Six?" He turned to Sora. "Is six okay?"

"If I eat gyoza and ramen, I'm going to explode," Sora said. "And each gyoza order is six pieces, so I don't know if you want to get that many."

"Yeah, okay, six," he told Michio, grinning. Instead of looking surprised again, the man just grinned. "How much would that come out to?" Ace asked Sora quietly.

"It's on the house," Michio said, hearing Ace speak.

Ace looked up immediately. "No, don't do that," he said, waving his hands. He was certainly used to free food as he frequently practiced the dine-and-dash, but here, he had been paying for everything he ate or drank. He didn't want to disrespect Sora's village. "I don't mind. I'm just crappy at math, and I don't have the menu anymore."

"Nah, Sora eats for free everyday," Michio told him, waving him off as he started a batch of ramen. Ace turned to Sora and raised an eyebrow. She had told him that he would be paying, which had started the whole date debate in the first place. The woman shrugged guiltily, laughing. "And you're her date, so you can eat for free as well."

"Ah, we're not, uh—" Ace started, shaking his head. He didn't want to make Sora feel uncomfortable and then suddenly just run away.

"No need to be modest, boy!" Michio called, laughing. "It's been a while since I've seen Sora so happy! I was just telling her today, I haven't seen her out with a man since—"

"_Michio_," Sora said harshly, and this time Ace saw her glare. It was sharp and certain, but she didn't even look angry. It was a warning. Even though Michio was twenty years older than her, he clamped his mouth instantly.

"Ope," Michio said, breaking the abrupt silence with a wide grin. "Sorry, Sora."

The look on her disappeared as quickly as it had come. She smiled at Michio as though that brief moment of her death glare hadn't happened. Ace knew he probably should have been a little scared, but it just made him more curious. Sora really was a private person; she hated people knowing anything about her. It made Ace want to know her all the more.

But just not tonight. Ace would ask about Sora's past when the time was right. Michio brought Ace a beer, and the young man turned to Sora, who was sipping from a small cup of tea. "You don't drink?"

"I run a bar," Sora said, as though this were supposed to be an answer.

"But I've never seen you drink. And you deny me when I ask if you want to drink with me."

"I just don't feel like it," she said, shrugging.

"Sora gets blasted after like, two shots of sake," Michio revealed, and Sora rolled her eyes, confirming that this was, indeed, the case.

"What?" Ace asked, incredulous. He laughed, shaking his head. "Impossible. You're a pirate, woman, a _pirate_! Bink's Sake! Like, if you receive the sake instead of delivering it, you're gonna take two shots and pass out? If that ever happens when I'm around, I'm going to draw all over your face."

Michio and Sora laughed, flashing him a small smirk. "Yeah, I'll definitely make sure to never, ever drink around you, then."

"Ah, that is where you underestimate me, Miss De Belleville," he said, poking a finger at her nose. He spoke airily as if he were hypnotizing her. "You _will_ drink with me one day. And I _will_ scribble on your pretty little face."

Sora scoffed. "Never gonna happen, studly."

Ace made a tsk-ing sound, eliciting a laugh from the woman. Michio placed two giant bowls of ramen in front of Ace and Sora. She broke her chopsticks and began to eat, clipping the ramen up gracefully. When she turned to look at Ace, however, he was pouring the food straight into his mouth, his pair of chopsticks lying unused on the table.

"Oy, you're gonna choke," she warned him, giggling a little, but Ace continued to drink the ramen. It was a thick soup base, almost like porridge, but Ace kept his lips pressed to the side of the bowl, continuing to eat like a barbarian. He slammed the bowl down before Sora even finished with half her own bowl, and began throwing gyoza in his mouth as though they were candy. He stopped every now and then to wash the food down with a swig of beer and dove right in again. Michio brought Ace the second bowl of ramen.

"Can you at least eat like a human being?" Sora sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. She didn't mind his crude eating habits; practically all the men on Whitebeard's crew followed the same style of consuming food.

"I'm a pirate," Ace said with his mouth still stuffed with gyoza. Sora laughed and shook her head as little flecks of food flew out of his mouth. He swallowed and was about to reach for the ramen, when his he fell onto the table with a loud thud.

"What the—" Sora started, surprised by Ace's sudden collapse. She hopped off her stool as Michio leaned over the counter to inspect the situation.

"Did he choke?" Michio asked, raising an eyebrow. He paused for a moment, a hint of fear seeping into his voice. "Is he dead?"

Sora circled him, and saw his shoulders rising and falling with his breathing. She furrowed her brows, unsure of what she was actually seeing. "Oh, my God. He's _sleeping_."

"Wait, what?" Michio's voice was raised, Sora hearing his skepticism.

"No, seriously," she said, poking him in the shoulder. The man didn't move, and continued to snore quietly. "He's asleep. Did you poison him?"

Michio held his hands up and shook his head. "Why would I poison him? I'm not that kind of chef," he said, sounding offended.

"Oy," Sora said, tapping Ace. He didn't stir. She tried again, louder. "Oy, studly, wake—"

Ace shot up, making Sora jump backwards, grabbed the bowl of ramen and proceeded into pouring it down his throat. He paused, hacking a cough and placing the bowl down before pounding his fist against his chest. He swept up his beer and finished the glass, and then emptied out his second bowl of ramen.

"What in the name of all that is holy was that?" Sora asked, furrowing her brows.

"What?" he asked, swallowing the rest of his food. He looked at Sora, who was standing to his side. Michio placed his last bowl of ramen in front of him. "I'm hungry. Why aren't you eating?"

Sora stared at Ace with wide eyes as though he had just asked the stupidest question in all the land. "Why aren't I—I thought you _died_!"

"What are you talking about?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. He sounded genuinely confused, and even paused a bit to display his confusion to Sora.

Sora blinked several times, and then just shook her head, waving her hand slightly. "You know what? Never mind," she mumbled, returning to her seat. She exhaled deeply, but Michio noticed a very small smile on the curve of her lips. She actually seemed to be _enjoying _this man's company. It wasn't to say that Sora didn't have fun when she came to the ramen shop with, say, Marco, or Izou, but she never joined the men in a meal. It wasn't the same if she went to dinner with them to chaperone. Michio smiled to himself. Sora was like the younger sister he never had; it was nice to see her happy again.

"Done," Ace announced as he slurped down the last bowl of ramen. He wiped his mouth off on his arm and passed Sora a plate of gyoza. "Want?"

"Still eating my first bowl," she reminded Ace, gesturing to her half-filled bowl of ramen. It was still hot, steam rising from the top of the bowl.

"Oh," Ace said, shrugging. "Guess I'll eat this then," he dumped the rest of the gyoza into his mouth. He turned to Michio and grinned, giving the man a thumbs up. "That was awesome, man, thanks."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Michio chuckled, moving off for a moment to help other customers.

Ace rested his chin in his hands, staring at Sora as she continued to place ramen into her mouth. Ace noticed how she clipped the noodles between her chopsticks and then closed them, twirling them around as though eating spaghetti and not ramen. But he decided not to say anything, just smiling. She flicked her eyes at him, and then turned her head to face him when he wouldn't look away. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Ace said, shrugging. "Just looking at you. You dressed up for tonight."

"I did not," Sora said, turning back to her food immediately after the comment.

"Yes, you're actually covering your body," Ace teased, receiving a playful shove from Sora. Sora did normally wear clothes that exposed her lean legs and arms, and firm midriff, like her short dresses, or half-vests, but tonight she was wearing a blue off the shoulder long sleeve. And gray shorts, of course.

"It…was…cold," Sora said, shrugging.

Ace smirked. "You're wearing shorts and heels," he said. He glanced back down at her feet. "Heels," he said again, grinning. "You did dress up!"

"My boots are dirty and blue is my favorite color," she tried again, and kept her mouth occupied by eating the ramen.

"And I feel bad 'cause I'm in rags," Ace said, popping up the collar of his black tank top jokingly. He was dressed in the tank top and beige shorts and black slippers. He'd left his hat, knife, necklace and pouch back in the room. Why carry around all that stuff when there was no need? "I guess you've decided that we're on a date, then?" he added, smirking.

"I have not."

"Not decided or not on a date?"

"Not…on a date," she said, choosing the latter.

Ace just shrugged, looking unaffected. "Okay."

"Okay?" Sora asked. She thought that he was expecting her to say 'not decided' and try to convince her that it was a date. She had saved him the trouble and just told him no. But he was okay with it?

"Yeah. I told you no pressure right?"

"You were serious?"

Ace furrowed his brows, pretending to look a little offended. "Yeah, I was serious!"

The woman laughed. "Okay, okay. My bad, studly. But hey, this is our first time hanging out, so maybe, I will agree to an actual date later."

"Really?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Most likely not," Sora answered, receiving a playful shove by Ace. Sora called over Michio, who sidled across his pots to her side of the shack. "We're gonna be heading out now. Thanks so much for dinner."

"Yeah, it was great," Ace agreed, patting his belly. It hadn't looked like he had even eaten at all.

"No problem," Michio said, nodding to the two of them. "Come back anytime!"

Sora had started to leave but when Michio turned away, Ace pulled out Beli from his pocket. He quickly slipped enough money to pay for his meal under his beer glass and turned to catch up with Sora.

"He said it was free, you know," Sora reminded him, having seen what Ace had done.

"Yeah, I know," Ace replied, shrugging. "But I'd feel a little crappy about not paying for enough food to feed like, five people."

"You're a pirate," Sora said, smirking as she saw Ace smile. She had used his line. "Aren't you used to the dine-and-dash?"

There really was no slipping past Sora. As a former pirate, she seemed to know everything about that life. Ace grinned guiltily and Sora just rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised you eat like such a princess," he commented, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked through the streets. The road was dimly lit with a yellow glow from the few street lights, but the lights from the houses of residents and still-open shops made the path in front of them visible.

"I'm not a pirate anymore. I can't eat like an animal," she laughed.

"So, you used to eat without chopsticks?"

Sora rolled her eyes, and Ace grinned at her confirmation. "Food on the ship is good, okay? Not that Michio's isn't good or anything, I just don't want to eat like a crazy person in public."

"Why'd you quit being a pirate anyway?" Ace asked, and then instantly regretted it, seeing the way the question made her body freeze. It seemed like it was a little painful for her to walk now, and her breathing had halted for a moment.

"I had things to do," she replied nonchalantly, shrugging as though she was unaffected.

Ace decided to just leave it at that. "Where are we going?" he asked, noticing that they weren't headed back to the bar. He had expected to just have dinner and go back and maybe spend some more time together at the bar.

Sora raised her eyebrows. "If you don't want to eat ice cream we can just go back to the bar," she told him.

"Ice cream? I love ice cream," Ace said immediately, glad that the night wasn't over. He was surprised that she had suggested another place to eat together – as she did say that a bowl of ramen filled her up – but he definitely wasn't going to complain.

Sora smiled and the two just continued walking. "How is my old division doing?" she asked, keeping her eyes in front of her, as though the question was a little awkward for her.

"Awesome," Ace responded, grinning.

"Marshall still your subordinate?" the question was a little bitter, but Ace chose to ignore that.

"Yeah. I told him to take the position instead of me, but he said he's not interested in stuff like that," Ace shrugged. "You don't like him?"

"He is _nakama_," was her answer. Ace stayed silent, and she added quietly, "But just watch out, okay? I always have a bad feeling around that one. Like those painful ones in your chest," she said, putting her hand over her collarbone, pretending to experience it.

"What?" Ace asked, a little incredulous. He chuckled and shook his head. "Teach is harmless."

"Let's hope so," Sora replied, sounding obviously unconvinced.

"He's the one that encouraged me to become the commander," Ace noted, defending his crewmate. "If it weren't for him, you and I wouldn't have met."

Sora laughed. "Yeah, we would have."

"But you wouldn't think I'm as awesome," Ace corrected, flashing her a grin.

Sora scrunched her face together and inhaled through her teeth as though about to reveal bad news. "Sorry, studly, but you're not _that _awesome. Marco's more awesome than you, 'cause, I mean, fire's cool. But _phoenix_? Now that's _awesome_," she added, giggling.

"I am not afraid to hit a woman."

Sora laughed some more, shoving Ace's shoulder. "Shut up, stupid." She smiled at Ace. "But you know, I'm really glad to hear that you're taking care of them," she said, referring back to her old division.

"I don't even know why I never really asked why there was a position open in the first place," Ace mused aloud, shrugging. "I should ask around about you."

Sora smirked. "Nosy."

"What? I want to hear what your _nakama_ have to say about you."

Sora smirked. "Only good things, of course."

"I know, but—"

"If you really want to know more about me," she interrupted. "Then you have to wait."

"For what?"

"Trust," Sora answered, staring straight into Ace's eyes. He felt it again, the tightening of his chest and he watched as all the lights swirled around them. He couldn't even tell what was what; was he floating now? Was he even moving? It was chemistry, exploding chemistry, and Ace felt the electricity rip through his body, tingling every nerve, igniting all his senses.

He nodded slowly, a small smile creeping up his lips. "Okay, then. How do I know when you can trust me?"

Sora laughed and they broke eye contact, waking along. "When you don't need to ask me that question."

Ace grinned. "Fine," he agreed. The reached the ice cream parlor, a small corner shop with a waffle cone and a pink lump of ice cream as the sign. Ace held the door open for her and Sora slipped past him, saying thanks quietly.

"Sora," greeted the cashier, a younger girl who looked about fifteen. She was dressed in a pink apron and had her auburn hair tied out of her face.

"Hey, Coral," Sora greeted, waving slightly.

"Are you _Hiken no _Ace?" she asked, gasping and covering her mouth, her eyes widening.

"In the flesh," Ace responded, grinning as he pointed a thumb at himself. He held out his hand for the girl to shake. She seemed to not believe this was even happening, and just stared at him with wide eyes, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You're really awesome," she swooned, clapping her hands together.

Ace turned to Sora and grinned. "See? _Really _awesome." Sora laughed and shoved him. "What is Sora's favorite ice cream flavor?" Ace asked Coral, looking inside the freezers near the register.

"Green tea," Coral told him, pointing the tub of green colored ice cream.

"I hate green tea ice cream," Sora told Ace.

"Don't you lie to me, woman." Ace said, flattening his palm over her head and clamping it like his hand was a mechanical claw and Sora was the stubborn stuffed bear at the bottom of the grabber machine. He pulled out a few bills from his pocket with his other hand. "Yeah, green tea ice cream for her and chocolate for me."

"Okay," Coral said happily, punching it in the register. Ace made the motion to give Coral the money, but Sora slapped it out of his hand.

"What the hell?" Ace was surprised by her action, bent over to pick up the money, and when he looked up, Sora was handing her own Beli to the young cashier.

"Hey," Ace said, and shoved her aside. "Take mine," he told Coral, plucking Sora's bills from her hands and inserting his own.

"Oy, stop," Sora said, trying to push Ace aside again. But the younger man grounded himself and Sora felt like she was pushing against a wall.

"Hey, stop before you hurt yourself," Ace teased her. He laughed as the girl huffed and tried to hand her money to Coral over Ace. Ace just held his arm up and shifted his body so that he was a human blockade. He laughed at the small woman, who had her brows furrowed. "_You _beat Marco the Phoenix? Impossible."

"Shut up," Sora said, punching his back.

"Oh, damn, I think a mosquito bit me," Ace said playfully, rubbing the spot that Sora had punched, only to receive another in his shoulder. But, by then, Coral had rang up Ace's order and handed him the change. "Thanks!" he told her as she began to scoop out their ice cream.

"You didn't even need to do that," Sora told him, pretending to be angry as she stared at Ace through little slits in her face.

"I know," Ace told her.

"Then why did you?"

"I don't know, I wanted to," Ace told her, and Sora opened her mouth. Ace clamped his hand over it. "Just shut up already. It's done, you can pay me back later."

Sora slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Fine. Next time, then. Thanks," she said, making a face.

Ace hoped that there would, indeed, be a next time.

Coral handed Ace their ice cream cones, and he grinned, handing Sora's to her. She held it carefully, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you," she told him, starting for a table nearby.

"Sora," greeted a voice and the two turned around to see Izou pushing open the door, a tiny bell jingling behind him. He was dressed in a kimono, as usual, but a set with cool greens and blues. His thin black hair was swept up, his lips were colored, and with his pale skin, he looked very much like a _geisha_.

"Izou," Sora said, handing her ice cream to Ace so she could pull the other man into an embrace.

"I feel like I haven't seen you since we got here!" He said, patting her on the head. "You are still such a beautiful woman."

Sora grinned. "Thanks, but you're still a lot prettier," she teased.

"I know," he told her, as though this were common knowledge. "Oh, and hello Ace," he greeted, noticing the second division commander standing with two ice cream cones.

"Hey," he greeted, smiling. He watched as Haruta and Vista walked in shortly afterwards, and raised an eyebrow. Why were three other division commanders wandering to an ice cream shop now, just when Ace and Sora were here? "Are you guys following me?" he asked, voicing his thoughts.

Izou laughed, waving Ace off. "Someone's thinking a little too highly of himself. I just wanted to see Sora before she disappears with Marco, as usual," Izou said, rolling his eyes at the woman.

"How'd you know she'd be here?" Ace asked, still not convinced, as the other two division commanders averted their eyes away from Ace, trying to engage Sora in conversation.

"Kohaku," Izou answered.

Ace couldn't help but roll his eyes. That boy _really_ couldn't keep his mouth shut when it counted. The last thing he wanted was word to spread around the Whitebeard Pirates about Sora and Ace hanging out alone and making a big deal of it. Yes, Ace did enjoy spending time with the woman, but not if it made her uncomfortable.

But damn, what did Ace care? Everyone already seemed to know that she spent a lot of time with Marco.

"Ah, well, sorry if we were interrupting something," Izou said, flashing Ace a quick wink while Sora was chatting with Haruta and Vista. He moved past Ace to start ordering ice cream as though this act would make him less suspicious. Coral seemed confused by the whole thing, but just took his order.

Ace cut in to Sora's conversation with the other two commanders, and handed the girl her ice cream cone. "Before it melts," he reminded her. Sora grinned and took it, licking the parts of the ice cream that were oozing off the cone.

"Mm, sorry boys, but chat later?" she told Vista and Haruta, who just nodded and bid her adieu as she swept past Ace to a table near the back of the shop.

"So, everyone knows you hang out with Marco," Ace told Sora, raising his eyebrows.

"Marco's like, my best friend," she laughed, shaking her head. She smirked and added, "Why are you so jealous?"

"I'm not jealous," Ace said, not sure if he was telling that to himself or Sora. "I was just observing, that's all. You sure you guys don't have a thing? I don't want to be disrespectful." He shrugged and tilted his head in a wishy-washy manner.

"Ha," Sora said sarcastically. "We don't. Not anymore," she said, winking at Ace to let him know that it was a joke. Ace threw a napkin in her face and Sora just laughed. "Seriously, studly, Marco and I are friends."

Ace stared at her, narrowing his eyes into slits as he took bites of his ice cream. "If you're lying, our trust will be broken forever," he reminded her and Sora flicked his nose.

"Not lying."

"Good," Ace told her, and popped the rest of the cone into his mouth, chewing noisily.

"But _damn_, he is _really_ sexy though. I mean, he's older than me and _so _mature, so I don't know, I'll probably go hit him up when we go back to the bar. Bye-bye _Hiken no _Ace, hello, Phoenix," Sora teased, and Ace threw another napkin into her face, eliciting the woman to burst out into laughter. "Making you jealous is so fun."

"I'm not jealous," he repeated.

"Ah, okay, my bad then," Sora said, waving him off skeptically by flicking her wrist at him. She continued to lick the green ice cream, turning her eyes to the ceiling as she did so.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Think Marco's sexy?"

"Shut up, and no, I meant lick your ice cream," Ace said, leaning back in his chair. "It takes you forever to eat if you do that, and by the time you get to the cone your ice cream is like a milk shake."

"I can't bite ice cream."

"What?" Ace asked as though this were completely unheard of.

Sora chomped her teeth together, making a clicking noise. "Sensitive teeth. I normally get my ice cream in a bowl or something."

"You should have told me that, then," Ace sighed, furrowing his brows. "I forgot that you're super weird and don't function like us normal people."

"Wait, hello? Sorry I didn't hear you, what was that? I'm going to run away with Marco?" Sora fired back playfully, shaping her hand as though holding a den-den mushi to her ear. She continued to pretend to be talking to someone through her hand. "Oh, yes, tomorrow would be good. Do I tell Ace? No? Oh, well he'll just throw a tantrum anyway."

Ace burst out laughing and covered his eyes with his hands as he threw his head back, sighing. "You're seriously the weirdest girl I've ever met," he told her. He sat up again and flashed her a grin. "But I like it."

Sora pretended to choke on her ice cream and coughed to turned her face away, bringing her hand to her mouth to try and hide some of the color that just appeared on her cheeks. What the hell was that? She hadn't been expecting that sort of comment. "Thanks, I guess," she told Ace, and turned back to face him, hoping that he hadn't noticed. "You're the, ah," she paused and pretended to think. "Yeah, I don't got one. Not that special," she teased.

"Ouch," Ace said, laughing.

"Did you want to go back to the bar?" she asked, still working on her ice cream. She had gotten to the cone at least, and was nibbling at it, sticking her tongue in to lick the ice cream around the rim before biting ice cream-free pieces off.

"If you want to," Ace said, shrugging. No, he didn't want to go. He didn't want the night to end yet.

"Okay," Sora said, but didn't move. She just continued to eat her ice cream.

"We're not going?"

"I don't want to leave yet," Sora told him, raising an eyebrow as though Ace was asking a stupid question.

"Me either," Ace said, grinning.

"We can leave when I'm done eating ice cream."

"Okay," Ace told her. He slipped out of his chair and jogged back up to the register to talk to Coral. Sora furrowed her brows, as Ace was covering his mouth with his hand and speaking quietly. He made sure Sora knew he was talking about her because he shot her glances and the woman just shook her head laughing. He handed Coral more money and she walked off to scoop more ice cream. Ace waited for a moment. Sora had turned around, crossing her legs and waiting for him to return. He had probably bought himself another cone to stall time—

Sora nearly jumped when Ace dropped a giant silver bowl in front of her. It was the size of the table itself, the entire bowl filled with so much green tea ice cream; Coral should have probably just given Ace the tub.

"What the hell?"

"Now we have to stay forever, muwahaha," Ace said, rubbing his hands together, pretending to be a diabolical genius of some sort.

"I definitely cannot eat all that ice cream! You just wasted your money," Sora told him.

Ace handed her a spoon and then lifted his own, making a face as though he were the coolest, most amazing man alive. "Have you forgotten who you're with?"

"A big nerd."

"Stop hurting my feelings."

Sora giggled. "Ah, sorry, I didn't know I was hanging out with another girl tonight."

"I'm going to cry," Ace said, making a serious face and nodding as though this were a fact. When Sora just shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully, Ace added, "Yeah, laugh now, but then I'm going to cry and then punch your face. And then _you're_ going to cry."

The older woman burst out laughing. "Oh, shut up," she said, shaking her head. "You're so silly and stupid I feel like I might actually die from lack of using my brain."

"I'm officially dead inside."

She laughed some more, and Ace grinned, enjoying the way her laughter tinkled in his ears. He liked that he could make her laugh so much. Although she was weird and open about how weird she was, Ace could feel her wall, set up a hundred feet high and twenty feet thick, built with steel and stone and cement. But hearing her laugh? Hearing those walls crumble as they lowered? That was an amazing feeling, and Ace felt his chest tighten every time her laughter rang through the air.

"We gonna eat this or what?" Ace said, smiling at the woman sitting across him. He lifted his other hand to reveal another spoon. Sora chuckled again at the fact that Ace was going to use two spoons to eat the ice cream. At least it was better than eating ice cream with his hands.

"Yeah," Sora said, smiling. Ace didn't hesitate and began shoveling giant spoonfuls of green ice cream in his mouth. Sora just watched, feeling a weight being lift off her chest. "Ace," she said, and the man looked up at the sound of his name. Damn, he loved when she said his name.

"Mmmm," he tried to say, but there was still ice cream in his mouth.

"Thanks," she said, smiling so that she showed her dimples. "I'm glad we did this."

Ace swallowed, smiling back at the woman. Her kind words caused his chest to inflate and fill with tingles. Jozu was right; there was no other woman like this one. "Me, too."


	6. Chapter 6: Fushichou VS Fuurin

"Oy, you have time for me today or what?" Marco asked, seating himself at a barstool where Sora was wiping the table. He had plopped himself down next to Ace, who, surprisingly, wasn't sleeping in until lunch. The two men greeted each other with a handshake, turning back to Sora.

"I always have time for you," she said, smiling at Marco. Ace stifled a cough, taking a long swig from his mug of orange juice. "What's up?"

"I was thinking you could take me up on that rematch," he suggested, cocking his head back confidently.

"Oh, you mean I get to spank you again," Sora teased.

"I went easy on your last time."

"Don't give me your excuses," Sora said, waving him off. She reached behind herself to untie her apron. "Eiichi," she called, but the waiter just laughed.

"Go ahead, I got things here," he told her, smiling.

"I'd die without you," Sora said honestly. Eiichi was Sora's childhood friend and took care of the bar when she was away, which, when the Whitebeard Pirates were here, seemed to be everyday. But the older man never seemed to mind. She turned back to Marco. "Let me change, and I'll meet you at the usual spot."

Marco stood up and cracked his neck and knuckles. "I'll be waiting, _Fuurin_."

"Ah, shut up," she teased, and headed for the stairs. "Want me to grab Jozu guys too?"

But the blonde was already leaving. He waved his hand. "Already told them, they're coming."

"Sweet," she said, and faced Ace as though having forgotten that they had just been having a conversation before Marco came. "You wanna come, too?"

"Yeah," Ace said, nodding. He actually wondered if Sora would rematch with Marco. He definitely wanted to be there to see that. The strongest division commander versus the old second division commander; it was bound to be interesting and quite entertaining. Ace was curious to see the abilities of the only female on the Whitebeard Pirates. "I'll go with Marco. Meet you there?"

"Meet you there," she agreed, and bounded up the stairs, her footsteps louder than a stampede. The door slammed behind her and Ace couldn't help but chuckle. She seemed excited.

"How was last night?" Marco asked Ace as they walked together. Ace had no idea where they were going.

"It was fun," Ace said, smiling as he shoved his hands in his pocket. He had Sora had stayed out quite late; by the time they returned from the ice cream shop, the bar was empty. But they stayed awake for a little longer as Ace helped her clean up before finally retiring to bed. His cheeks actually ached a little from laughing too much. She was definitely weird, but it was one of her quirks. He enjoyed being around her.

"That's really good to hear," Marco told him, smiling in return. "It's really been a while since I've seen her happy."

It was the second mention of it being a while since Sora had been happy, and Ace couldn't even imagine a time where she wouldn't be. She was so bright; she was the sunshine itself. But nevertheless, Ace felt pride swell in his chest, glad that he could make her smile.

"I like her," Ace told Marco. Neither of them really understood what Ace was trying to imply, whether it was as a friend or much more than that.

But Marco seemed to take it as the latter. He laughed a little to himself and shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up," he said gently. "She's very sweet but sometimes the things she can do can send a man mixed signals. It's not like she does it on purpose," Marco added. He sighed and shrugged. "It's one of her quirks; it's why there is no other woman like her."

Ace was tempted to ask about why it seemed Sora used to be sad, but he decided against it. He would ask her when the time was right. Ace had spaced out as the two of them walked in silence, and when he looked around him again, he was standing on a ridge, the sea below them, waves crashing against the rocks. The grass that carpeted the ground was dented in some places with either craters, or long streaking lines.

"Where are we?" Ace asked, glancing aroundd him. He saw that the town was at the base of the ridge far below.

"Sparring grounds," Marco told him. He gestured to the ground, how some of the grass was uplifted, exposing dirt, and the craters made the earth look like the dark side of the moon. "Those are from last time."

"She won?"

Marco nodded. "She won."

"I'm surprised," Ace said honestly.

"Don't underestimate her. I'd be out of a job if the woman was like, ten years older. She became the second division commander pretty quickly," Marco said, nodding as though regressing back to that time.

"How long was she on the _Moby Dick_?"

"She came on board when she was about sixteen. Hadn't eaten her fruit yet but she was a swordsman back then. Trained by a marine," he explained. Ace was fine with that brief excerpt; he wanted to hear more from Sora anyway.

"What's up, bitches?" called a voice from behind, and Marco and Ace turned to see Sora jogging up to them, Jozu, Thatch, Izou and Curiel behind her. She was dressed in the same bikini top Ace had seen in her wanted poster, and the hollow metal rods were strung around her neck. She was wearing her signature gray shorts and knee high lace-up boots.

She stood in front of them, a hand on her hip after she flicked the hair out of her face. "Ready for a beat down?" she teased, making a face at Marco.

Marco gestured to the weapon in her hand. "What the hell is that?" he asked.

Sora lifted it. It was held like a gun – it had a handle, and a barrel – but where the shot would have been launched was instead a blade that curved downward, like a scythe. "It is my…gun scythe," Sora stated as though Marco was supposed to have known this.

"You literally made that up just now."

"I did not."

"It's stupid. You can't hit me with that anyway," Marco said, waving her off jokingly.

Sora held out her free hand. "I've been practicing with it, and I'll bet you anything that I can land a finisher on you with my gun scythe."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "If I win?"

"I don't know, what do you want?" she asked. She had obviously not thought this out.

"What do you have to offer?" he asked in return, smirking. She shrugged as though telling him to choose whatever he wanted. "How about a date then?"

Sora laughed and Ace felt his stomach clench. "A date? That's it?"

"That's it," Marco said, shrugging. "And if you win, I'll buy you three dozen _andagi_."

"So, if _you_ win, _you're_ going to buy _me _dinner?" Sora asked, cocking both of her eyebrows and laughing. "And if I win, then we don't call it a date and you _still_ buy me food. It's a win-win, Phoenix," she told him, and he shook her hand instantly before she could change her mind.

Ace seemed to watch in slow motion as she moved past him. If Marco won, then he would have not only won the match, but won a date with Sora. Ace swallowed a lump in his throat.

Sora and Marco stood facing each other, eyes locked. She had placed her gun scythe into the earth, leaving it there so her hands were free. Izou held a gun up in the air, grinning. "Go!" he shouted and fired a shot.

Sora disappeared and the next time Ace saw her, Marco was blocking an airborne kick. Then he heard Sora's necklace blow in the wind that exploded from her movement. It was the sound of wind chimes, the hollow metal sound ringing through his ears. Marco flipped her off him with ease and they stood again, facing each other as though nothing had happened.

"You got faster," Marco commented, blue flames disappearing from his arm. He had needed to change to phoenix to block that attack.

"Why, thank you," she said, bowing. Ace noticed that her hair was billowing slightly and looked down at her feet. The grass she was standing on was tilted outwards, as though being blown in the wind. And then Ace saw the small gusts around her feet. "Ready for me again?" she asked, and if he had blinked, Ace would have missed it. The gusts around her legs exploded as she shot forward; she was propelling herself with sharp bursts of wind.

She lifted her foot to send a round kick flying at Marco's face and at the last second, Ace saw it again – the explosion of wind – and her foot accelerated, slamming into Marco's forearm before Ace heard the sound of the wind chimes again. Her movements were fast, but they were sped up even more, so much so that she seemed to be beating the speed of sound.

Marco shifted his arm and wrapped his hand around her ankle, violently swinging her around and into the earth. She seemed to have been anticipating and the gusts appeared around her wrists as she flipped, slowing herself down and flipping again upright. Ace was completely amazed. She used wind to not only speed herself up, but to slow herself down.

Marco grinned. "You _did_ learn some new tricks."

"I have time to practice," Sora said, her voice aloof as she shrugged. Sora held her arms out as though she had nothing to fear. She cocked her head slightly, confidence splaying over her delicate features. Ace felt the hair on his skin stand, Sora's resolution rippling across his own body. He knew that the other division commanders standing at his side could feel it, too. "What are you waiting for? Come at me, bro."

Marco cracked his knuckles, chuckling. "As you wish." He spread his arms, his limbs becoming enveloped in bright blue flames and he took flight, closing the distance between himself and Sora quickly, launching a kick at her face. She lifted her arm to block it, and Ace saw her be pushed back ever so slightly, her feet creating streak marks in the grass.

The wind around her arm intensified and she pushed Marco off and leapt after him, her arm cocked back for a punch. Marco caught it, not even fazed by her speed or strength and swung her around again, sending her flying towards the earth. Because of the propulsion of her wind, she landed on her toes mere seconds behind Marco swung down an axe kick to the spot she had just been standing in.

He rose to the air again and she launched off the ground, she cocked back for another punch, and Marco smirked, ready to catch it, but instead she whipped around towards her back, firing a hook kick that landed, sending Marco hurtling towards the ground. The watching division commanders shielded themselves from the explosion of wind and rubble with Marco's landing.

Sora grinned down at Marco, dusting off his jacket. She was still hovering midair, and flipped herself upside-down, crossing her arms over her chest. "I love flying," she said, floating around in circles above Marco. She stopped so that their faces were aligned, but hers was upside down. Sora gazed into his blue eyes, smiling. "Don't you love flying?"

"You should take this more seriously," he said, pulling his arm back to punch her in the face. Sora protected herself, blocking his fist with both hands, but flying backwards anyway, laughing.

"It sucks that to fly, I have to have the wind around me," she contemplated, floating around in circles again. Ace could feel it, the strong, cool breeze against his skin. "Otherwise I would just fly away and fly forever," she said, her voice sounding airy as Marco trudged toward her.

"Hey, you gonna fight me or no?" he called up to her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah," she told him, and laughed. "Just thought you would have given up because I mean, this isn't even a challenge. You can just buy me _andagi _now and call it a day," Sora teased with a wink.

"Why don't you take me seriously? You know I'm the first division commander."

"If I were like, ten years older, that would have been meeeeeeeeeeee," Sora said, flying around Marco, who just rolled his eyes. The other division commanders just laughed. Sora was weird.

"But you were born ten years too late, and so it's not."

"But it would have been."

"Shut up, Sora. You said we'd rematch. Can you ever take anything seriously?"

Sora landed on the ground and stared up at Marco, who was nearly a head taller than her. "You gonna take _me_ seriously?" she challenged, her hands on her hips. Marco smiled. She had noticed that he hadn't even used a part of his full strength yet.

"Yes," he said, putting a hand on her head.

"Good," Sora replied, satisfied, and in an instantly, knocked off his hand and slammed her elbow into his chin, sending him flying into the air and then crashing to the ground. She leapt backward and swung her arm out in a sweeping motion, firing a thin blade of wind Marco's way. He swiftly enveloped his arm in blue flame to block the attack. Sora charged while Marco was still kneeling, and he flung his body around, swinging a kick at Sora. For the first time since the match begun, Sora didn't have time to dodge and took the blow square in the face, flying at the earth. She hit the ground hard, and rolled on the grass for a moment before flipping herself back on her feet. She tilted her head from side to side, grinning at the man. "Now, that's more like it."

Spreading his arms out and covering them in blue flames, Marco sped at her, and she was able to dodge this time, darting just out of the way of another assault before trying to land another elbow in Marco's back. But he was faster and swung around, slamming his arm into her like a clothesline, and the woman collided with the ground once again. Marco lifted his leg for a finish axe kick but she rolled out of the way and fired more blades of wind at him. Marco lifted his wing for protection but when he lowered it, she had closed the distance between them, ducked under his arm and fired and uppercut into his stomach, her own arm propelled by wind.

Marco felt the wind behind knocked out of him as he bent over from the strength of her punch, and she took that opportunity to flip around and kick him again, sending him to the floor. By now much of the grass was dented and there were craters lining the earth, plants uprooted. It was so fast paced that Ace could barely keep track. He did notice however, for very brief moments, she moved her right arm over the corner of her left waist, and then moved in for an attack. It was like she kept forgetting that there was no sword at her hip. Marco didn't seem to notice it, though, and never went in for that shot.

"She's amazing," Ace voiced his thoughts aloud.

Jozu chuckled and slapped the second division commander in the back. "Told you. Her and Marco have always fought on par. Well, not when she first joined us. For the past six years she's been getting better and better. Marco trained her while she was still a pirate so they're quite even now, though. But she gets upset whenever he heals," the big man added with a chuckle. Sora's scream from the fight confirmed this, when Marco changed his arms to wings again, healing the bruises on his arms.

Izou nodded in agreement. "It would have been interesting to have her as first division commander, but she ran your division just as fine. She was also born about ten to fifteen years too late," the man told him. He sighed and shook his head. "A very strong woman. It's a shame she had to quit."

"How come this is the first time I'm ever hearing about her?" Ace asked, realizing that everyone knew about Sora except for him. On a crew with over 1,600 people, how was that even possible? If he was so strong and so beautiful, and a division commander, why had Ace never even heard her name before?

Thatch shrugged. "After she quit four years ago, she asked us not to talk about her."

Izou nodded in agreement once again, shielding his face for a moment from the explosion of wind coming from the battlefield. It seemed like Sora was actually getting agitated; she let out a war cry as she charge Marco again, who had just turned full-phoenix to heal himself completely. "It would be disrespectful to not abide to her wishes, wouldn't it?"

"But she was so great," Ace said, turning his face back to the battlefield, watching the way she moved when she fought. She was strong but she wasn't wild; her moves were graceful, timed, purposeful. She was obviously not going into the fight without a strategy, without thinking of every possible move Marco could counter her with. "Why wouldn't she want people to talk about her legacy?"

"She wasn't in it for fame," Curiel chimed in. "She had things she needed to protect. Just like all of us. But then she decided it was just better to stay here and protect those things, instead of always being out at sea with us. We tried to convince her otherwise, but she had already made up her mind."

"Sora hasn't left dry land for four years," Izou said, flicking his eyes back to Sora and Marco. They were on the ground now, full out throwing punches and kicking, taking hits and returning them. Ace could hear the sound of their clashes all the way where he was standing. He turned back to Izou, processing what the man had said.

"Like, ever?" Ace asked, incredulous. Although he was a devil fruit user and a pirate, and the sea was indeed a dangerous place for people like him, Ace couldn't live without it. If there was no ocean, then there was no point of even living. It was freedom, it was peace, it was adventure, it was mystery. It was everything that he could ever ask for out of life. To hear that there was someone who confined themselves to land? It was ludicrous.

Izou shook his head, strands of hair falling around his pale face. "Never set a toe in the water. Not even on beach days. I mean, we have days when we all go to the beach to hang out, but she doesn't join us for a swim or anything." Izou shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"A pirate that hates the sea?" Ace couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Odd, right?" Thatch chimed in, smiling slightly. "But that is what makes Sora the way she is. Maybe one day, though, she'll come surf with us again," Thatch hoped, and the other men smiled at the thought, as though the memory were a distant, distant pastime.

There was a loud thud from the battlefield and the men turned to see Marco sitting on Sora's stomach, his hand wrapped around her throat. But Sora's arm was also lifted, pressing the silver edge of her gun scythe against Marco's neck. They were both breathing hard as the dust settled.

Izou moved a few feet closer and smiled a little. "Sorry, we weren't watching," he laughed, waving his hand. "I guess it's a draw."

"_What?_" the two called simultaneously.

"I pinned her. _I pinned her_. I'm pretty sure I win," Marco reasoned, not bothering to get off Sora's stomach.

"Um, gun scythe, hello?" Sora added, nodding her head as much as she could at the weapon that was pressed against Marco's throat.

Izou shrugged. "Sorry, we were talking."

"One of you had to have seen it," Sora urged, looking at each of the division commanders. The men all shook their heads, laughing. "Oh, my God, this is why I asked you guys to come!"

"Wait," Izou said, the smallest of smiles tugging on his thin lips. "Was the bet even about who wins the match? Or whether or not Sora lands a finisher with her pretend weapon?"

"It's not a pretend weapon," Sora pouted. "I made it myself."

"Pretend weapon," Izou teased, waving her off.

Jozu laughed loudly, throwing his head back. "It's whether or not Sora could land the finisher with the gun scythe!" he remembered, the rumbling of his body shaking his shoulders as he laughed.

"But it's a draw, so both of you landed finishers," Thatch trailed, grinning also, understanding what Jozu was saying as the look on Marco's face changed to disbelief.

"But Sora wins," Ace finished, grinning.

"OH, HELL YEAH," Sora screamed, lifting her head as much as she could so she could get as close to Marco's face as possible. She dropped her weapon and Marco let her up slightly, rolling his eyes. "UNH, I WON, BITCH!" she cried, sticking her face right in Marco's. He flattened his palm on her face and pushed her back, chuckling.

"Match is a draw," he reminded her.

"But I won the bet," Sora shot back, giggling as she lifted into the air slowly, wind swirling around her legs. She held her arms out. "I am the greatest warrior of all!" she said, using the manliest voice she could muster. The men all laughed, shaking their heads at her silly antics.

Marco grabbed her ankle and pulled her back to the ground, chuckling as he shook his head. "Fine, fine, _andagi_ it is," he said, ruffling her hair.

Sora did an over exaggerated fist pump in triumph of her win, and the group headed back to the town.


	7. Chapter 7: Come On

"Come on." Ace's voice made Sora look up from the counter.

"What're you doing up so early? And come on what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Her apron was slung around her waist again and she was making drinks and delivering orders to customers. It was just before lunch; she recalled Ace saying that if it wasn't lunch, it was too early, but here he was, dressed and standing in front of her.

"We're going out," he announced as though she was supposed to have known that.

"I'm working," she laughed, shaking her head. "I haven't worked a day since you guys came."

"Let's keep up the trend. Come on," Ace urged again, coming around to the side of the counter. Sora backed away, shaking her head and giggling.

"Stop it, I have to work," she said, but Ace kept moving toward her, grinning as he closed the distance between them. "Ace!" she laughed when she reached the end of the bar. He trapped her between his arms, flashing a smile. "Are you kidnapping me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the face in front of her.

"That's a really harsh term," Ace mused, reaching behind her to untie the apron. Sora rolled her eyes and tried to slap his hand away. He shrugged it off, finishing untying it and added, "I prefer to call it surprise adoption."

"Adoption? Oh, so you're my daddy now?" she teased.

"Sora, that's really kinky. You shouldn't call me daddy in public, that's strictly our bedroom talk" Ace said very loudly, making sure that people around them heard. Sora gasped and slapped his arm, making a face at him.

"That is not even-"

"You don't have to be in denial," Ace shrugged, speaking loudly again. "You know you want me. We can just go upstairs if you'd rather do that," he teased with a wink, earning him another hit in the shoulder from Sora. The male customers around her just chuckled, and Ace noticed the slightest of color tinting her cheeks. "Come on, small boobs, let's go out."

Sora rolled her eyes at the nickname. Ace pulled the black apron up over her head. "Are you going to stay here and trap me or did you have anything planned?"

"If I lift my arms, you're not going to run away, right?" Ace asked, grinning.

"Never thought about that 'til you said it," Sora told him, laughing.

Ace lifted his arms for a moment and slammed them down again, as Sora did make a move to try and run. She made a noise as his forearm caught her and she laughed, trying to pry Ace's fingers off the counter. "You're not going to be able to do that," he told her, laughing.

"Oh?" Sora gave up on trying to break Ace's grip. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and raised her leg so she could press her body against his. Her skin was cool against Ace's own flesh, and she ran a hand down his neck, placing it on his chest. Ace struggled to maintain steady breathing as she lifted her lips to his ears. "Oh, _daddy_," she whispered seductively, and Ace faltered at the feel of her breath on his ear, saying _that _of all phrases. Sora grinned and punched Ace in the stomach, making the younger man keel over, clutching his abdomen and Sora slipped away from him, giggling as she reached the other end of the bar. "Man, you are too easy."

"Cheap shot," Ace groaned, following after her. His stomach still hurt. She had punched him pretty hard. "That was pretty hot though. You sure you don't want to go upstairs?" he teased, and Sora smacked his arm playfully.

"I can't leave," Sora told him again, picking up another apron. "I can't leave Eiichi with the bar again."

"I already asked him," Ace informed her. "He said it was fine, now come on before I literally pick you up and take you out of here."

"No, I can't, I feel bad. What about Kohaku?"

"With _Oyaji_ today. Stop making excuses," Ace said, making a face at her as he moved towards her again. In one swift motion he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Noooo," she cried, pounding his back. But Ace was unfazed, heading towards the door.

"Too bad, small boobs," Ace said, glancing back at her. "Say bye to the bar for today!" Ace called, waving to the rest of the customers at the bar, who were chuckling, waving as Sora and Ace left the bar.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked Ace as he glanced around.

"Far away," he said airily. "Dark alleys, secluded areas, where people normally take their victims that have been surprise-adopted."

"Shut up," she laughed, accepting the fact that Ace was not going to let her go. "Where are we going, studly?"

"Hiking," Ace told her, not moving from his spot.

"Hiking?" she repeated, not sure she heard correctly. "At least let me pack some stuff. I'm not even dressed for hiking." She looked down at Ace who was wearing a pair of black dockside shoes and was without any bag of some sort. "You aren't either!"

"More fun that way," Ace shrugged. He looked from side to side again. "Where's the trail?"

"Let me go in and change."

"You're just going to run away. Tell me where the trail is."

"Ace!" Sora cried, squirming about again under Ace's tight grip.

"Small boobs!" Ace called back, teasing her, his grip not easing up. He turned left and began walking through the town, still carrying the woman. He asked a random person in the street. "Hi, do you know where this woman," he spun around to show the person Sora's face, "goes hiking? I heard she goes there with the blonde first division captain, Marco the Phoenix?"

The woman nodded. "Oh, yes, the path is that way," she said, pointing north. "Outskirts of town and straight up that mountain."

Ace grinned and nodded. "Thanks a lot, ma'am. Have a great day!"

The woman laughed a little. "You, too," she said before walking away.

"Alright, small boobs, I'm pretty buff and everything, but I don't know if I can carry you up a mountain," Ace told Sora. "You gonna cooperate this time or am I going to have to punch you in the face?"

Sora giggled. "I don't know. You can let me go but I might run away. Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Ace answered without hesitating. The answer took Sora by surprise and she found herself speechless. What was up with this man always answering questions she meant to be rhetorical? Ace let Sora go, placing her down on her feet, not prepping his body to chase after her if she did run away. Sora found herself frozen to the earth, although every fiber in her body screamed at her to turn the other way and run. Why wasn't she running? Why couldn't she just pick up her foot and run?

Ace smiled gently at Sora, as though providing an explanation. "Come on, Sora, let's go," he told her, turning his back and heading towards the outskirts of the town.

"I...have to feed the fish," Sora said, trying one last excuse.

Ace didn't even bother to look back and just waved. "Did it already. Come on."

As though being pulled by a magnet, Sora felt herself moving. Not moving away from this man, but moving towards him, gravitating to him.

Ace felt a presence by his side and glanced down ever so slightly to see Sora walking beside him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her body against his in a sideward walking hug. "Thanks," he said, glad that she decided to come along. Sure, Ace acted confident but the truth was that he was scared out of his mind. It had nearly been a week and yet the young man found himself thinking about Sora quite often. No woman ever had that effect on him before. Ace needed to pretend like he didn't care whether or not she came with him places when he asked; he needed to pretend like he didn't care that she so easily dropped everything to spar with Marco the other day; pretend like he didn't hang on to her every word and glance.

"You know this is our last hang out," Sora said, smiling up at Ace.

"What?"

She giggled. "You said dinner and hiking, and since we're going hiking today, that's all, you know. It ends today. No more interrupting me and kidnapping me from work," she told him.

"Ah, but after today, you would have such a fantastic time with me that you're going to be begging for me to steal you away from work," Ace said, tapping her nose.

"Doubt it," Sora teased, yawning teasingly as though she were already bored.

"We shall see," Ace said, ruffling her hair.

They walked more, reaching the end of the town and heading into the mountain, chatting about various things, ranging from the weather to the spar yesterday with Marco. "I was seriously impressed," he told her, his hands in his pockets.

Sora slapped his shoulder playfully. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, I mean you're cute and your nickname was _'fuurin', _you're the windchimes. I didn't expect that much strength," he said, and Sora hit him again, laughing. "I mean I can feel your haki and everything and I mean you're a very confident woman, but I was surprised to see that you actually have the physical strength to back it up."

"Thanks, I guess," Sora scoffed.

"Are you a Logia?" Ace asked, poking her shoulder as though expecting his finger to go through her body the way objects normally passed through Logia-type fruit users.

Sora shook her head. "Paramecia."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Wind's not an element?"

"I'm sure there is a Logia-type wind fruit. Mine is just the paramecia type, I don't know," Sora said, shrugging. "I don't care what kind of fruit user I am because this power has allowed me to protect people and I couldn't be more grateful. You know?" she looked up at Ace for confirmation.

The younger man nodded, completely understanding. "Yeah. So, what, you can make a wind body?"

"Ah, it's more like, controlling and creating wind," Sora shrugged. She noticed that there was still an inkling of confusion splayed across Ace's features. She stopped walking. "Like, okay, try and punch me. As hard as you possibly can," she told Ace, opening her arms and welcoming Ace's fist.

Ace shook his head immediately. "Yeah, I was just joking when I said I hit girls," he said.

Sora laughed. "Come on, as hard as you can. It won't hurt," she promised.

Ace raised both his eyebrows. "So you're saying my punches are weak," Ace clarified.

"Yup," she answered without hesitation, grinning like a child. Ace noticed that she seemed to know that he couldn't turn down a challenge. And she was right. He felt a prickling in his chest with her simple one-worded answer and knew now that he couldn't back down, even if it meant hitting a girl.

Ace cocked back his fist and it enveloped in flames before he thrust it forward with all his might. There was an explosion of wind and he felt the flames on his hand disappear and as it moved in slow motion and Sora gently caught his fist as though he had merely flicked it at her. Ace remembered seeing her do something similar to Jozu when he had punched her.

Sora smiled, letting go of his hand. "Felt it? I used the air resistance to slow down your hand," she said, starting to walk again.

"That's an insane amount of wind then," Ace commented. From the way the wind had felt against his muscles, it was like he had just thrown a punch in water.

Sora nodded. "Compressed air. I'm not as great as, say, Kuma Bartholemew at compressing air," she said, referring to the _Shichibukai_. "Like, I can't make bombs. But here," she said, and flung her arm out in a sweeping motion, and Ace felt another burst of wind and watched as a nearby bush was sliced clean in half. Leaves burst outward, flying around as though on a battlefield. She smiled at Ace's wide eyes, laughing because he had just seen her use this attack yesterday. "Besides, I like blades better anyway."

"_Kaze Kaze'_s pretty awesome," Ace said honestly.

"Thanks," Sora said happily, actually sounding glad that Ace acknowledged her strength as something admirable. "Your _Mera Mera _is pretty neato-burrito, too. If I could have any fruit, it'd actually be yours."

Ace grinned. "Thanks, small boobs. My fruit is the best in all the land; I can see why you'd envy me."

"Okay, too cocky, I like Marco's fruit better," she teased, shoving Ace playfully. Ace just laughed, letting her know that he had been kidding in the first place.

Ace noticed that they were now walking uphill through dirt. Sora was carrying her slippers in her hand now. "Should I carry mine too?" Ace asked, gesturing down to his docksides that were gathering mud.

Sora laughed. " I guess." She glanced at his shoes and raised her eyebrows. "You sure those aren't women's shoes anyway?"

"What?" Ace asked, examining his feet. What was wrong with them? He had worn this style of shoes since he was a kid – if he weren't wearing his boots.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I have a pair of ballerina flats that looks something like that," she teased, and Ace rolled his eyes, mumbling under his breath. Sora poked him. "See, told you we should have gone back. Coulda changed shoes."

"I'm a man, we venture the world barefoot," Ace said, kicking off his shoes and carrying them also. Sora just giggled, shaking her head. Ace shielded his face from the sun. "Shoulda probably brought my hat," he said, chuckling, receiving an eye roll from Sora.

"A _man _is afraid of a little sun?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow. "When I come with Marco, we hike naked."

"Yeah, bad joke," Ace told her, shoving her grinning face. "What's up with those Marco jokes anyway? What if he hears about them?"

"Well, making you jealous is fun," Sora shrugged as though this should have been common knowledge. "And I don't care, Marco knows that we're just friends now."

Ace's eyes narrowed. "Now?" he asked, catching the word.

"Did I say now? I meant always," Sora rephrased, making a face at Ace.

"You dated Marco?"

"No," Sora said, shaking her head.

"You have a child together!" Ace exclaimed, his eyes widening. Sora burst out laughing but Ace continued with the joke. "Oh, shit, that's why Kohaku is blonde isn't it? Damn, that little kid lied to me about being your brother!"

Sora just laughed some more and pushed him. "Oh, shut up. Kohaku's not my son."

"So what about you and Marco, then?" Ace asked, persistent.

"Nothing," Sora insisted.

"Don't lie to me, woman!"

Sora giggled. "Fine, if you must know, back when I first got on the _Moby Dick_, I…may have had a tiny, not really, sort of big crush on Marco," she said, shrugging as though this information was not a big deal.

Ace pointed a finger. "I knew it! I knew all those jokes had some truth to them. Oh, God, you guys had sex, huh? Damn, I'm a disrespectful son of a bitch," Ace groaned, sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose as he totally blew everything out of proportion. Sora couldn't even tell if he was joking or not.

Sora shook her head and shoved him slightly to get his attention. "No! We didn't have sex! He's like, way older than me, so back then it was only a crush. He was the first person to talk to me and make friends with me and I used to think he was so cool. I was sixteen, and he was this, you know, hot shot phoenix pirate, so yeah, I kinda liked him then," she said with another shrug. "But that's all."

Ace kept his eyes squinted, as though he didn't believe her. Sora laughed, pushing the younger man again. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"I'm going to be extremely depressed if you're lying," Ace warned her, his eyes still little slits in his face. She could see his lips quivering a bit as he tried not to laugh.

"Not lying," Sora said, holding both her hands up to show him that her fingers weren't crossed. "I told Marco about this like, years ago, after the fact. We laughed about it, ha, ha, and we're best friends now. Stop getting your panties in a bunch."

"Prove you're over him," Ace challenged, glancing down at her.

"What?" Sora scoffed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're over your little crush, okay. Go on a date with me. A real date, not an oh-I'll-decide-then date, a _real _date. I'll pretend to pick you up and everything," Ace offered, grinning.

Sora smiled wryly. "Is that the best possible pick up move you got? No dice, studly."

Ace frowned. "Oh, come on!"

"The last time I listened to your 'come on', you kidnapped me and forced me to go on a hike," Sora snapped back, taking Ace off guard. He backed off a little, and Sora just walked ahead of him, not bothering to look back to see if he was following her.

Ace caught up with her again, trying to make eye contact. "Sora? Sora, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"Was it something I said?" Ace asked, not knowing what he could have possibly said to suddenly outrage her. He hated having her direct negative energy towards him. It happened the night they met ramen, too. She had decided he had done something wrong when Ace hadn't even known what he did wrong.

"Whatever."

Ace moved in front of her and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. She immediately averted her eyes. "Hey, what did I do?"

Her voice was monotone. "Nothing, forget about it."

"Stop," Ace said, raising his voice and unconsciously shaking her once as though this were going to shake out the bad mood. Sora glanced up, her blue eyes clashing with his brown ones. And everything seemed to melt away. The trees, the ground, the sky – everything. All she was left with were his eyes. "I'm sorry if I said something that upset you," he said, his voice stern and serious. "I'm not going to ask what it was, but please stop being mad at me when I don't even know what I did. I'm trying so hard to understand you and, I don't know, it just sucks when stuff like this happens and I'm left in the dark not knowing why. If you're gonna be mad at me then at least tell me why. If not, then stop being mad."

Ace was completely serious. He didn't want this woman being in a bad mood when he was around her. The only thing he wanted to see on her face was a smile and if he couldn't even do that, then what was even the point of talking to her?

Then, she smiled ever so slightly and Ace knew that the storm had passed. "Okay, fine," she exhaled, and Ace could hear the light tone of her voice. He also knew that because she agreed to stop being angry, it also meant that she wasn't going explain why she had been in the first place. A part of him had actually been hoping for her to talk, but for now, he was glad that she was happy again.

"Good," Ace said, releasing her and starting up the trail again. Sora was at his side as though nothing had ever happened. Ace was about to say something, but he stopped for a moment, putting his hands out as though signaling for the world to stop with him.

"What're you doing?" the woman asked, looking back at him.

"Don't you hear that?" Ace turned back to her, and put a hand over his ear.

"Hear what?"

"Waterfall," he said. Sora was surprised. He had actually heard it.

She smiled. "Yeah, there is a waterfall up here, but it's not on the trail—"

"Screw the trail," Ace said immediately, grinning like a child. "It's a waterfall, Sora! A _waterfall_!"

"It's like you've never seen one before," she teased, rolling her eyes.

"Not since I was a kid," Ace told her, deviating from the dirt trail into the trees, moving towards the sound. He felt the ground getting steeper and he realized that they were already pretty high up the mountain, and were sliding back down.

"Ace," Sora called behind him, and he paused for a moment to allow her to catch up.

"You're so slow," he told her, excitement lacing his voice. He grabbed her hand. "Come on!"

Sora flinched at his touch and instinctively whipped her hand back out of his grasp. Ace didn't even mention it and just kept moving. "Where are you even going?" Sora called, falling behind again.

"Waterfall, small boobs. Didn't you hear me talking about it?" Ace called back, laughing.

"But we're already off from the path," Sora said, worry tainting her voice.

"We're pirates! We _live_ off from the path!"

Ace knew Sora didn't have anything to say to that, but he could still hear her following behind him. He pushed leaves out of the way, not caring about the fact that dirt covered nearly half his calves from him sliding around and falling over rocks and logs. He just wanted to see the damn waterfall.

"Oh, shit," Ace cursed, immediately halting in his tracks. He had nearly fallen off the mountain, reaching a gorge where a crisp waterfall poured into a clear pond below. The porous rocks were tough against his feet and Ace remembered to look back to make sure Sora didn't fly off the cliff.

He could hear her swearing as she tried to catch up and she stumbled onto the cliff, where Ace held his arm out to steady her balance. "How awesome is this?" he said in awe, glancing around him. Everything seemed brighter here; the trees were greener, the sky was bluer, the birds sang louder – even the dirt felt softer. Ace's eyes were pulled to the waterfall, hearing the crashing sound of it against the rocks as it cascaded into the pond that leaded to a shallow river seeming to flow down the mountain.

"I'm gonna jump," Ace announced, pulling his shirt up over his body. He glanced around and tossed both his shoes and his shirt down below, the items landed completely askew on the rocks below.

"What? We're at least fifty feet in the air," Sora told him.

Ace stepped back, rolling his shoulder blades. "I know. It's gonna be _awesome_."

"Ace, don't jump," Sora told him.

"I don't even remember the last time I've ever jumped into anything," he told her as though trying to sound philosophical. "Gonna do it now, though!" he called and ran as fast as he could, leaping off the edge of the cliff.

"Ace!" Sora called, watching him drop fifty feet into the pool of water, a huge splash following. He didn't surface right away. How deep _was _this pool? "Ace, you shit, you can't swim, you know! I can't swim either! You're gonna drown, and I can't save you," she called down when he didn't come up. She waited three more seconds. "Ace! Ace, you—"

At that moment, Ace burst up from the pond, treading water as he wiped his face. He grinned up at Sora. "It's not sea water, you idiot," he laughed. "Moving water live rivers and waterfalls don't affect us. The ocean doesn't go up the mountain and into a waterfall. It's rainwater or something. Have you never seen a waterfall before?"

"Have you?" she shot back, rolling her eyes.

"Jump!" Ace called, waving his arm for her to come in the water.

"No way," Sora said immediately. "I'll meet you down there in twenty minutes. Swim around in circles for me, studly," she told him and shifted her feet so that she could travel down and around the mountain to try and find him.

"No dice!" Ace called up at her, grinning at her scowl at the fact that he used her line. "Is the great _Fuurin_ afraid of heights?"

"Shut up," Sora yelled back. "I'm not going in there. I don't even have a bathing suit."

"Just take off your shirt."

"I'm wearing a bra."

"That's the same as a bathing suit right?" Sora couldn't say anything back and Ace knew he had won yet again. "Now come on, small boobs. Let me see some small boobs!"

Sora laughed, shaking her head. "Never!"

"Jump," Ace urged. "Jump, you stubborn woman!"

"If I said I was afraid of heights would you shut up?"

"No, because you said yesterday you like flying so that's impossible. Jump. No powers," he added, already predicting her next words.

So instead, she just said, "What will make you shut up?"

"If you jump."

"Not going to happen."

"Come on," Ace persisted. "Live a little, Sora! Jump! I am right here, ready to catch you."

Sora rolled her eyes. "You can't catch me if I fall fifty feet."

"Oh, my God," Ace groaned. "If you don't jump right this second, I'm going to go back up there and punch your face. Now jump, you annoying woman."

"What if I die?"

Ace laughed. "You won't die. I just did it."

"But you're an idiot."

"Jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump," Ace chanted, slurring his words together faster and faster.

"Shut up!" Sora cried, laughing. She walked around in a tiny circle, shaking her head and laughing at the same time. "Oh, my God," she mumbled to herself, half-laughing, half-hysterical.

Sora turned to leave, but then she heard his voice. "I'm right here, Sora. Trust me, you'll be okay," he said. And for some reason, Sora, who had been arguing with Ace for the past five minutes about jumping, believed him.

Ace looked up, trying to see Sora on the cliff. He couldn't see her at all; the ridge was too high. He wondered if she had left and was walking down like she said when suddenly he saw her tiny figure fly off the edge of the cliff, plummeting towards the water. She was screaming and swearing and Ace laughed as she hit the water, shielding himself from her splash.

She surfaced immediately, her teeth chattering and her arms crossed over her chest. "Holy crap," she breathed, lifting a hand to wipe her hair out of her face. "This water is freezing."

"Come here," Ace said, holding both his arms out to her. She swam towards him and he wrapped his arms around her. Instantly, Sora was filled with warmth. She was still shaking, so the man wrapped his arms around her tighter, his body rumbling a little with laughter. "Not so bad, right?" Sora could feel the vibration of his voice against her body. It sent chills down her spine.

"Terrifying," she said into his chest.

"Nah," he laughed, and pulled away for a moment to cup his hands around her face. It was a good thing that Sora's body was slightly warm from Ace's body heat; otherwise he would have felt the blood rush to her cheeks as he stared into her eyes. "You're a brave girl and I'm so proud of you," he said, his voice genuine. His words could have sounded demeaning, like he was speaking to a child, but Sora didn't hear and condescendence in his voice. And all the worry left her system. "We can kiss now, right?"

Sora pushed him away, laughing.

"Aw, that was totally a kiss moment. You ruined it," Ace teased, swimming after her.

Sora scoffed, swimming backwards towards the waterfall and away from Ace. "Oh, my God, have you ever even _been _in a 'kiss moment'? That was not even close to it."

"For your information, I have been in _tons_ of kiss moments," Ace replied as a matter of fact, following her.

"With how many girls in how many different beds?"

"That's a trick question."

Sora laughed, raising both her eyebrows. "Oh, that many?"

"Don't answer her, Ace, it's a trick," he said aloud to himself, causing Sora to laugh.

She ducked under the waterfall, feeling the water pound her body as she crossed the veil to the inside of a small cave on the other side. The sound of the waterfall was louder here, echoing off all the walls of the jagged cave. Ace appeared at her side, a look of awe on his face as he glanced all around him.

"This is cool," he told Sora, finding a rock that jutted out. He could sit on it comfortably with the tips of his shoulders bobbing out of the water. "So, you've been here before?"

"Tons of times. I used to have sex with Marco here," Sora said nonchalantly, and then shielded her face when Ace splashed water at her. She laughed and splashed some back. "Kidding. Yeah, I've been here before but I've never jumped into the water like that."

"First time for everything," Ace shrugged. He caught her wrist and pulled her to him gently, half afraid that she was going to flee like how she had practically ripped her hand out of his grasp when he tried to lead her here in the first place. But to his surprise, she let him pull her along until they were enveloped in an embrace again.

Ace noticed. He noticed the curves of her chest and her waist, the smoothness of the lines defining her collarbones. He noticed the way her hair fell into her heart shaped face, the way the blue of the water reflected into her bright azure eyes. He noticed the feel of her flesh, cold against his own, her full lips, her thin fingers winding around the back of his head through his shaggy hair.

She lowered her face so that her lips were right below his earlobe. He struggled again to maintain even breathing as she whispered, "Now _this_ is a first kiss moment."

Ace moved his hands to capture her face and slowly, _ever so slowly_, brought his own lips closer to hers, a strong, overwhelming urge to know how they would feel pressed against each other, synchronizing—

Sora splashed water in his face, completely shattering the moment. Ace could have sworn he even heard the sound of glass flying everywhere as he felt water on his face instead of Sora's lips. Ace wiped the water away but when he looked up again, Sora had fled to the opposite side of the cave, giggling.

"Twice in one day? Really?" Ace sighed, running a hand through his wet hair.

She laughed, splashing water at him again. "You are just too easy, studly."

"That's no excuse to be a cock tease, Sora," he said as though scolding her.

She rolled her eyes at his tone. "What are you now, my dad?"

Ace looked as her as though this were something she were supposed to know. "Come on, Sora, we went over this. You called me daddy this morning in front of a whole bar. I'm pretty sure we have established that I'm your daddy."

Sora flicked water at him, giggling. "Think of it as revenge for making me jump from that cliff."

"Okay, what you just did was way worse than what I _suggested _for you to do," Ace argued, pinning his arms on both sides of her, his hands pressing against the rough rocks.

"Whatever!" she cried, shoving his chest and staring at him incredulously. "You made me fall fifty feet."

"You didn't kiss me," Ace shot back, raising his eyebrows. "That's way worse; it's a lose-lose for both parties."

Sora scoffed. "How is that a lose-lose?"

"'Cause I know you wanted to kiss me."

Sora pretended like the breath in her chest hadn't caught. "Completely wrong."

"We can try it again," Ace suggested, closing the distance between them so that his face was right in front of her.

Sora could feel his breath and his body heat crushing her own presence. It was those damn freckles. And he was so close, so close she could see every single one, so obvious, like big bright stars standing out in the night sky. She felt her body naturally surrendering. He reminded her so much of—

Sora pressed her palms against his chest and shoved him as hard as she could. Ace seemed surprised, seeming alarmed from her sudden violence. "Ow," Ace complained, making a face at her. "What was that for?"

_Don't be angry if you can't explain_, Sora reminded herself, and instead just smiled at the man. "Never going to kiss you," she told him.

"One day, you will be begging me to kiss you," Ace challenged teasingly, following Sora as she crossed the waterfall again.

She made her way to the rocky shore and pulled herself out of the water. Ace did his best not to look when she pulled off the shirt she had been wearing, as she had jumped into the water with it. It was soaking and he could see right through it when she was in the water. Her taking it off was a different story, however.

"Stop looking at me," Sora teased, catching him.

"I'm just wondering how it's even possible for a girl to have such small boobs. It's like they're not even there," Ace joked back, covering up the fact that his eyes had been drinking in the sight of this woman in her underwear.

"Stop," she pretended to complain, grabbing her chest. "They're not that tiny!"

"It's okay, boobs," Ace said, climbing on to the rocks next to her. He looked down as though he were talking to Sora's chest. "Maybe one day you'll both grow big and strong and please many a man."

Sora shoved Ace back into the water. He broke the surface, laughing. Sora rolled her eyes, wringing out her shirt. "Did you want to go to the top, or frolic around here?" she asked.

"Whatever you want to do," Ace shrugged, floating around in the water. It had been so long since he actually was able to be in a body of water without sinking straight to the bottom.

"I asked you first."

Ace returned to the rocks, resting his arms on the shore to keep him afloat. "As long as you keep that shirt off, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth." Sora dunked his head under the water and Ace burst up again, laughing. He pulled himself out of the pool, Sora's eyes briefly flicking over the way his muscles flexed as he did so, before returning her attention to her shirt. "We can head back up the mountain."

Ace held his hand out, and lifted Sora off the ground. The woman took her hand back immediately, but gently this time, and Ace didn't seem to mind. He picked up his shoes and shirt from their places on the rocks near the pool and started back for the forest.

He stopped, however, noticing a granite headstone near where his tank top had landed. Sora was already starting for the path again, and looked back to see Ace looking down at the headstone.

"Takamune Kenjiro," Ace read the gold characters aloud. He could have sworn he heard that name somewhere before. He just couldn't put a finger on where and why.

"Ace," Sora said, standing at his side. She swallowed a lump in her throat. This was why she didn't want to come here; why she had tried to lead Ace away from this place. She had come so close to leaving without seeing the grave that reminded her of everything she had lost. "Let's go."

"There's a grave here," Ace said, gesturing at the headstone. He put his hands together and bowed his head. He closed his eyes, saying a prayer in his head to honor the dead. Sora's chest panged at the sight of Ace being so polite to a grave belonging to someone he didn't even know.

"Ace," Sora said quietly, tugging him again. "Let's go."

"Hold on," Ace said, and disappeared for a moment. Sora just stood frozen, her feet glued to the rocks, her eyes drawn to the name in gold characters that she had read hundreds of times, as though hoping they would disappear and that person would not be under the earth, and instead, be at her side once more. Takamune Kenjiro. Every time his name was repeated, it was like a slap in the face, reminding her of why she had quit being a pirate, reminding her of why she had given up her dreams.

It seemed like eternity, but Ace returned, holding a couple flowers in his hand. "Did you pick those?" Sora asked, numb.

Ace nodded, placing them at the foot of the grave. "It's disrespectful if we just leave, right?" He bowed his head again.

Sora had trouble breathing. But she still managed to say quietly, "Thank you, Ace."

"Hmm?" he opened his eyes and looked down at her, for the first time noticing that she was shaking ever so slightly, keeping her gaze low and averting her eyes away from the headstone. He opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again. Maybe another time.

Instead, he put an arm around her, leaning his head against hers for a moment. "Yeah, don't worry about it," he said, and then released her. He was worried – she had been so happy and then there was another mood swing. It was worse than the time he had seen her nostalgia, looking out into the sea; this wasn't the same level of a little nostalgia of missing the ocean. This expression on her face now, it was heartache – unbearable, shattering heartache. In this moment she was completely broken, crumbled, shrunken. Ace didn't know what to do. How could he make her smile again?

She looked up at him as though asking the same thing. The best Ace could think of was just to smile, hiding the fact that he was genuinely concerned, finally believing Michio and Marco when they had said it had been a while since Sora had been happy. Had she been this way for four years? Even the thought made Ace feel an emptiness in his chest. He never wanted to see her this way ever again.

"Wanna head up?" he asked, breaking the silence.

She nodded. Ace put his arm around her shoulder again, leading her away from the grave. Sora didn't look back.


	8. Chapter 8: 21 Questions

**A/N: There will be slight spoilers in this chapter if you are not up to date with the current One Piece manga/anime.**

* * *

_They were in the eye of the storm._

_ Sora lifted a hand to shield her face from the rain the wind was whipping into her face. Her little dinghy had barely reached the shore before she leapt out, instantly feeling heavy as the seawater crashed against her body, coming all the way up to her waist. She pushed forward, ignoring the feeling of her body weakening because of the ocean. She needed to get ashore._

_ As soon as she stepped foot on the sand, the feeling left, and she was hit with a wave of energy. "Protect the villagers!" she roared back to her men, who were storming the beaches wildly, crying out as they raced to the town. Sora followed, keeping her hand on the hilt of her sword. She was drenched from head to toe and it was freezing, the rain hitting her like hail and the wind swirling around her, but she was numb, blinded and bound by fear._

_ It was crushing. Fear crumpled her body more than the weather ever could, causing her heart to race so fast it might have burst. Her breathing was heavy and she struggled to even it out, but to no avail. _

_ Arashi Island was ablaze, smoke rising into the air, weighed down by the rain but swept around by the wind, enveloping everything on the small land mass that Sora called home. Screams and the crackling of fire filled her ears, but she only had one thought repeating over and over in her brain like a broken record: find Ken._

_ Sora was not a violent pirate; probably the least out of the division commanders aboard Whitebeard's _Moby Dick _but this was different. These men had invaded her home, killed her friends, destroyed houses and families – Sora's family. She slashed anyone she didn't recognize, her blade stained with blood. But the rain washed it away, leaving no trace of their deaths._

_ Sora kicked open the door to the Sky Pub. "Kenjiro!" she screamed, glancing around her. One more time. "Kenjiro! Kohaku!"_

_ There was no answer and Sora swore, leaving the empty burning building. Not even the rain was strong enough to quell the raging fire. There was only one other place they could be—_

_ "_Aneki _!" Sora whipped around to see Kohaku wielding a knife, standing as though guarding her. A stranger was protruding from the bar but before Sora could move, he slashed at the younger boy. Sora snapped her arm out to try and pull Kohaku out of the way but she seemed to watch in slow motion as his blood was spilled onto the earth and he let out a shrill cry._

_ Instantly, that pirate was dead, Sora resheathing her blade. She tore a piece of Kohaku's shirt and wrapped it around her wound. "Kohaku, where is Kenjiro?" she pleaded, wiping away the young boy's tears._

_ Tears were streaming down his cheeks, creating streaks on his dirt-covered face. "I don't know. H-he left the bar when the sirens came on, and—"_

_ "Shh, shh," Sora said, running a hand through his hair. _

_ "Sora!" called a voice and the woman looked up to see Marco, his skin a little dirtied from the ash. He jogged to them and Sora stood up._

_ "Marco, take Kohaku," Sora told him, and Marco swept up the boy on his back. _

_ "Sora, no, I want to go with you," Kohaku said, and tried to struggle, but Marco's grip was firm._

_ "I need to find Kenjiro and Adrian," Sora said, and Marco could see in her eyes the fire of determination that had set her ablaze. This was something she needed to do and Marco was not to interfere. So the blonde just nodded. "Take Kohaku to the ship and make sure he doesn't run off."_

_ "Sora!" Kohaku cried as Sora started to move away._

_ The woman turned around, walking backwards. "I will end Adrian today, Kohaku. He won't bother us anymore. I'll find Ken, too, and we'll go out for ice cream after this whole thing is done. I promise."_

_ Kohaku's bottom lip quivered, but he just nodded, and Sora darted away._

_ She ran in the opposite direction from her crewmen and villagers that were trying to evacuate the village to reach the beaches. Her men did not stop her as she weaved between them, her breathing heavy. She pushed her _haki_ out, scanning the area for Ken's aura. Her strength exploded from her body, an invisible force field consuming the town, honing in on Sora's most precious person. She felt his presence, slowly fading and changed directions, darting through an alley to reach the street over._

_ It was instant. Adrian, his wrath blending in with the flames that consumed the village, eyes darkened as he stared at—_

Sora burst awake, her breathing heavy and rapid, her body drenched in cold sweat. She had forced herself awake, forced herself to escape and not relive that terrible memory over and over again. It always happened whenever she saw Ken's grave – it was why she had lessened her visits.

"Hey, you okay?" asked a voice that made Sora jump. Ace had propped himself up in bed and was squinting at her through the darkness. He sat up and inhaled deeply through his nose, still a little sleepy.

"Yeah," Sora whispered, running a hand over her damp forehead and through her tangled hair. "Sorry if I woke you, I just, I don't know, bad dream."

Ace shook his head. "It's okay. You were crying, so I kinda got up from that," he said.

Sora touched her face, realizing that it was damp. She wiped away her tears, sniffing. "I never cry," she stated as a matter of fact, trying to lighten the mood.

Ace scoffed, his voice still slightly scratchy. "Ah, okay then, you were just moaning. Totally hot."

Sora actually giggled a little and she could see Ace smile a little. She exhaled deeply and lay back down, covering herself with the blanket. The wind blew through the window, freezing Sora to her bones, so she wrapped the blanket around herself tighter so that only her eyes were visible.

Ace laughed. "Cold?"

"I never get cold," Sora said, obviously lying.

But Ace didn't seem to care that she was fibbing and just agreed. "Me either," he said, grinning at her. He seemed more awake now, sitting up completely so that she could see that he was shirtless, only wearing a pair of shorts. Sora looked a little confused and Ace pointed at himself. "Flame body. It's always hot. It can be pretty awesome."

"Oh, right," she said, making a motion under the blanket that looked like she was waving him off. He could see the blankets shaking a little as Sora shivered, and Ace laughed again.

"I can go over there and keep you warm," Ace suggested.

"Can't you just like, make the room hot?" proposed Sora, making big motions under her bed to try and explain.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, okay, if you want me to burn down the place. I'm not a heater."

Sora made a humming noise like she was thinking and then scooted over on her bed, making room for Ace. Sora didn't even know what she was doing but before she could change her mind, Ace moved. "Awesome," he said, hopping out of his own bed. He dove into her mattress, taking Sora off guard as he landed with a thud.

"Jeez, don't break my bed," Sora complained, shifting again to give Ace room.

"But then that means we'll have to share every night and that would be better," Ace mused, Sora swatting his hand jokingly. He opened his arms. "Come here, small boobs, and warm up next to daddy."

"Oh, shut up," Sora said, but squirmed closer to Ace anyway. He pulled her into him, and she felt his warmth instantly; it was like hugging an oven. She kept her face cradled in the curve on his neck and shoulder, pressing her nose and lips into his throat as Ace wrapped his arm around her shoulder and Sora's arm slid very gently over his waist. Her shivering stopped immediately as Ace's body heat chased out the cold.

"Better?" he whispered, trying his best to ignore the softness of her lips against his neck. Just that tiny touch was intoxicating. He felt Sora nod and held her tighter. He had never, ever expected to see this woman crying. She had been tossing and turning for some time, her breath sharp as she whimpered, clutching around her as though searching for a hand to hold. It worried Ace; it made him want to be by her side. He was lucky enough to have gotten the chance to suggest it.

"Want to play a game?" Ace asked.

"That sounds creepy," Sora said into his neck. She pulled away and laughed. "What kind of game, studly?"

"Well, you know how I want to know more about you? I think you want to know more about me, too," Ace said, grinning at her.

Sora scoffed playfully. "Definitely not. Good night," she said, shutting her eyes as tight as she could to let Ace know she was just joking. Ace put fingers on her eyebrows and raised them, trying to open her eyes as she giggled, trying to keep them shut.

"Come on, how about like, twenty-one questions?" Ace suggested, and Sora opened her eyes to raise an eyebrow. "But like, if we're uncomfortable asking something then we can ask like, 'is it okay to ask about this-and-this?' and the other person can answer yes, or no, and it doesn't count as one of the questions. Make sense or are you too slow to follow?" Ace teased, pinching her nose. Sora made a face, and pushed him a little.

"Okay, fine," she said, shrugging. Her arm returned to Ace's waist. "I'm up anyway."

"Alright, me first," Ace said, grinning. He was surprised that she had actually agreed, but again, didn't complain. "Okay, something easy, like, um, what is your favorite food?"

"Cheese," Sora answered with a grin. "Cheese sticks, string cheese, cheese sandwiches, cheese with curry, cheesecake – anything cheese is awesome," she added, watching Ace smile at her answer. "Hm. What about your brother? Is your brother a pirate, too?"

Ace nodded. "Yep. Monkey D. Luffy," Ace stated, sounding proud.

Sora shrugged. "Never heard of him."

"Well, he's technically not a pirate yet. He's supposed to leave our island in East Blue in a year or so. I left when I was seventeen so he's gonna do the same. Don't worry, you'll hear about him when he does take to the seas, though. He _is _my brother after all," Ace bragged as though this Luffy person would be a threat to someday snatch the title of Pirate King from Whitebeard. It was simply impossible.

"Different last names," Sora noticed. "Real brother?"

Ace shook his head. "But that doesn't matter, right? We were practically brothers growing up. I'd do anything for the kid."

Sora smiled. "That's sweet of you."

"It's the same with you and Kohaku, right?"

Sora nodded a little. "Yeah. Okay, your turn."

"How long did it take you to be promoted to second division commander on _Oyaji_'s ship?"

"One year," she boasted. "Heard it took you _two_. Sorry, studly, you're not as awesome and amazing and strong and wonderful as me."

Ace flattened his palm into her face and the two of them shared a laugh. "I'm pretty sure I could kick your tiny ass in a fight," he challenged.

"I'm pretty sure I would kill you with a flick of my finger," Sora retorted playfully. "And you'd go crying to _Oyaji_ about how you got beat up by a girl and everyone would laugh, and I'd be like, he started it, and they would be like, we don't care, and then we'd laugh some more while you sobbed in a corner," she said with a grin.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Elaborate story, but it's fake. You'd be the one crying—"

"Because your fire fist punched my face?" she finished, laughing. "Yeah, right."

"Remember this conversation, De Belleville. We're going to spar one day and I'll kill you," Ace said, poking her forehead.

"Already have it stored and archived under 'pre-victory speeches'," she teased. She paused for a little, seeming to think about her question. "Ah, when's your birthday?"

"January first," Ace said as though this were something to brag about. He grinned as he added, "I'm number one that's why. When's yours?"

"August fifteenth."

"That's soon," Ace noticed, glad he asked.

"Yeah, the last time the Whitebeard Pirates were here there was a pretty big party," she laughed, shaking her head at the memory. "I turned twenty-one. That was the last time I drank. Seriously, never again. But knowing them, they'll probably have another party. Excuses to drink, right?"

"I will be there to celebrate this year," Ace told her immediately. "You're turning…"

"Twenty-four."

"Holy crap, you're so old," Ace teased, making Sora slap his chest.

"You're just too young," Sora replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Marco's more my type, and you know, women like older men, and Marco's like—"

Ace rolled on top of Sora so that he was lying on her, his back against her chest. She was laughing, trying to breathe. "Ace," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and trying to roll over again. He just pressed down harder and Sora burst out laughing, gasping for air. "Ace, I can't breathe!" she giggled, squirming under him. He flipped over so that he was facing her, lifting himself to give her some room to inhale. Sora tried to push him off but he just stayed planted. "Get off me or I'm going to ban you from my bed forever," she teased. Ace made an over exaggerated frown and rolled off her, facing his back to her as he pretended to be sad. "Oh, stop," she said, facing him and wrapping her arm around his waist again.

That had been Ace's plan in the beginning anyway. He turned to face her, capturing her in an embrace again, the woman laughing as she struggled, trying to wriggle free from his grip. There was a pounding on the wall from the room over and the two of them froze, staring at the source of the noise.

Sora made a face and shrugged as though saying, 'oops' and stopped squirming around. "Okay, my turn right?" she asked and Ace nodded. Sora paused for a moment. "Is it okay if I ask about your tattoo?" she gestured to the ink on his arm.

"Yeah."

"Why is the 'S' crossed out?"

Ace smiled gently, running his hand over the familiar markings. "I, ah, had another brother, Sabo. He was, uh…"

"Oh," Sora said, understanding what Ace was trying to say. "It's nice that you gave your brother a tribute. I'm sure that he's grateful." She ran her thumb over the crossed out 'S'.

"Thanks," Ace said, exhaling a little.

"Can I go again?" she asked, smiling and lightening the mood.

The man shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"Are you, like, artistic?"

"What?"

"Like can you do art? Or I don't know, play music?"

"Why?"

"We're playing a game," Sora laughed, punching his back softly. "I'm asking."

"Are you going to make me do something for you?"

"Depends."

"Do I have to answer?"

"Yes!"

Ace groaned. "Okay, well, I guess I can sort of play the piano."

"Really?" Sora asked, sounding excited. "How'd you learn?"

Ace shrugged. "We go to a lot of places and meet a lot of people and it always kind of just interested me, I guess. I picked it up over time and we have a piano on board, too, for our musicians so I play sometimes. But very quietly and only when there's no one around."

Sora giggled. "Play for me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's late, everyone's sleeping, and there's no piano here. Oh, and also: _no_."

She laughed. "Are you embarrassed?"

"You already asked like, five questions. That's not fair."

"Have you written any pieces?"

"That's six questions." Sora just smiled and Ace let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I mean I've thought up stuff but I haven't written them down or anything. It's just something I do for fun."

"I wanna heaaarrrrrrrrrr. Let me heaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr," Sora groaned, making the ugliest face possible. Ace laughed and covered it with his palm, his hand big enough to grab her face. "Play for meeeeeeeeeeee! Plaaaaaaaaaay!"

"No, shut up," he laughed, squeezing her cheeks together so she was making fish faces. Sora giggled, prying his hand off her face. "I don't like to play for other people. It's just something for me."

Sora frowned. "Okay, then," she said, her voice softening as she looked away and pretended to be depressed, which made Ace roll his eyes.

"Is it my turn yet?" Ace asked, ruffling her hair. Sora nodded and Ace paused for a moment, thinking. "Hmm, can I ask about your family?"

"Sure," Sora said, shrugging. "My family is _Oyaji_ and the Whitebeard Pirates." Ace smiled at that answer, but it wasn't the one he was looking for. Sora seemed to know, and added, "But, ah, I never really knew my _real_ family. I don't even really know where I was born. I was found on Arashi Island when I was a baby. Michio said I just kind of floated here and so everyone kind of helped to take care of me, but in the beginning, for the most part, I spent a lot of time fending for myself. I'm still grateful for everyone here, though. It was hard for me to deal with because when I was a kid I was a little bitter because I didn't know my real mom and dad like everyone else. But I've come to love everyone on this island." Sora shrugged. "What about your family?"

Ace made a face, inhaling a little as he hesitated. "Ah, _Oyaji_ and the crew."

Sora chuckled and just nodded accepting his answer. It was like she could tell it made him feel uncomfortable, and oddly enough, it made Ace want to tell her. He took a deep breath. "Okay, um, I'll tell you, but you can't…say anything. To anyone, ever. It's not something I'm proud of, and not something I tell everyone."

"Ooh, secret time," Sora said, smiling at Ace and nodding, letting him continue.

Ace took a deep breath again. "Okay, so, my mom's name is Portgas D. Rouge, and she lived in Baterilla in South Blue. Biologically, I'm twenty, but physically, I'm nineteen."

"Two sentences that do not relate to each other," Sora voiced her thoughts aloud.

"Biologically, I'm twenty, and I never met my biologically father because that certain man was executed was executed twenty _one_ years ago," Ace said, swallowing the lump in his throat, watching the cogs turn in Sora's brain turn. Ace took another deep breath, trying to gain the strength to say this next part. "He was the infamous…"

"No way," she whispered, realization dawning on her.

"Gol D. Roger," Ace said, trying his best not to bite off the syllables to the name he hated with his entire being. He braced himself, preparing for Sora's reaction, expecting the worst.

But instead of asking Ace to leave, Sora punched Ace in the chest softly, grinning. She tried to whisper, but it wasn't working out, as she was so excited by this new information. "That's so crazy! You're the son of Roger! The pirate king! How are you even alive?"

Ace let out a breath of relief. "My mom. She kept me in her womb for twenty months to try and fool the World Government about her connections with Roger. I owe her my life," Ace said, averting his eyes. "She really saved me. That's why I took her name and not Roger's. I don't even consider him my father. He is a despicable human being," he spat, feeling his chest heat up with rage.

He felt Sora's hand on his cheek, her skin cool against his. He looked up to see her smiling gently. "It's okay," was all she said, but Ace could feel the anger empty out through the pores in his skin. He believed her words. "Thank you for telling me that. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Ace closed his eyes and breathed. What the hell possessed him to tell a girl he had only known for a week his greatest secret was beyond him. But it didn't feel wrong at all. He _wanted _Sora to know everything about him. "Thanks," he said. "You can go now."

Sora smiled, her hand going back to Ace's waist. "Umm, how many girls have you been on dates with?" she asked, lightening the mood again with her innocent questions. She seemed to know when it was appropriate to do so, and Ace appreciated that.

Ace squinted his eyes, thinking. He held up the appropriate amount of fingers. "Three."

"If you're counting us going to dinner as a date, then put one down," Sora said, rolling her eyes. Ace lowered a finger and smiled sheepishly. She laughed and then asked, "Okay, then how many girls have you slept with?"

"I told you, like literally just today, that this is a trick question," Ace answered immediately, furrowing his brows at her.

Sora laughed, shoving him lightly. "No, it's not, I don't care. I was just asking."

"Why are you asking if you don't care? It's trickery, that's why," he said, shaking his head as he answered his own question.

"I'm just curious. I mean, you're the big bad _Hiken no _Ace, second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. How many women have you been with since you got on _Oyaji_'s ship?"

"I'm not answering that," Ace insisted.

"Why not?"

"Because."

Sora giggled, pushing Ace again. "Come on, how many?" Ace sighed exasperatedly and held up one finger on one hand and all five fingers on the other. "Six? That's not that bad."

Ace furrowed his brows, looked at his fingers in a confused manner, and then nodded quickly. "Yeah, six. Okay, uh, my turn—"

"Fifteen?" Sora corrected, throwing her head back and laughing as quietly as she could. "Oh, you're so gross! You probably have diseases, get out of here!" she teased, pulling her blanket off Ace and over herself, kicking him lightly from under the covers.

"Hey, this is why I didn't want to answer," Ace groaned. "And that's not even like, the exact number, it was just an estimate, so shut up."

"So, there's more?" Sora laughed, shaking her head and rolling around as she laughed. "You've only been a pirate for what, two years? Oh, my God, that's so many, Ace."

Ace sighed, running a hand through his hair as she continued to laugh. "No, it's not. Fine, you were the second division commander before me, how many guys have you dated?"

Sora turned to him and held up one finger.

"Not including me," Ace told her.

Sora scoffed teasingly and nodded. "We have never gone on a date."

"Okay, then how many guys have you slept with, _Fuurin_?" Ace asked, cocking his head as though expected some large grand total.

Sora kept one finger raised, smirking at the younger man.

"No," Ace said, shaking his head. "Don't lie to me."

Her jaw dropped playfully and she shoved him, giggling. "I'm not lying! I'm just not dirty and full of diseases."

"I'm not full of diseases," Ace repeated, flicking her nose. "You were a pirate, how does a beautiful pirate like yourself only sleep with one man? You were on the ship for like, five years."

"Three years," she corrected, smiling at Ace and choosing to ignore the other comment about her appearance. "I'm a _clean_ pirate."

"Dammit, that's why I didn't want to answer that question. It was a trick. See? It was a trick!" Ace said, yanking off Sora's blanket. She laughed and tugged it back over her body, finding herself in Ace's arms again. The dark haired man paused for a moment, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Can I ask who it was?"

Ace felt Sora's breath catch in her chest and he expected her to say no, but she looked up at him and smiled slightly. "Not yet," she told him.

Ace just nodded, satisfied with that answer. He then asked her quietly, "Well, then I ask you about me?"

"What do you mean?" she said into his chest.

"I don't know, like, if you were to ask me about you, I'd say that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Like, in my entire life. Kinda weird, and really silly, but that's…really what makes you so beautiful to me. Like, not _hot_, or not just _pretty_, but beautiful – extraordinary, stunning, spectacular in every way. You're so strong, and I, ah, really admire you," he said, not really sure what was even happening. It was the scent of her hair – vanilla – and the feel over he body against his that was intoxicating him and causing him to just blurt things out. He was afraid of what she was going to say but she didn't even say anything for a long time. Ace was just about to shift so that he was looking at her in the face and was going to tell her that it was joke, but she finally spoke.

"I think…" she started, and then shook her head. She moved away from him and made eye contact, and then broke it again, shaking her head and sighing. "I don't even know what to think. I feel like…you don't know me well enough to say all those wonderful things about me. I think that if you really did know me, then you wouldn't think that stuff about me," she said quietly, pulling the blanket around her and curling up slightly.

Ace pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly. Her voice sounding so small made his chest tighten. "Sure I would."

He felt her shake her head. "No, I promise, you wouldn't. You wouldn't admire me at all."

Ace pulled away but she kept her gaze averted. Ace hooked two fingers under her chin and lifted her face so that she was looking at him. "Yes, I would."

Sora chuckled a little and shook her head. "You're just saying that to make this a kiss moment," she teased, poking his nose.

Ace laughed and closed the distance between them again, burying her face in his chest. "Almost worked, too," he said, and Sora just laughed. "But really, though, Sora, you're…great. I really, honestly believe that."

She laughed and shrugged. "You don't know me, then."

"I want to, though," he replied, hugging her so that she wouldn't see his face. He couldn't believe that he was being this corny; it was making him blush.

She sighed and just shook her head, not saying a thing as she curled into Ace's warmth. Ace was sure that she had fallen asleep until he heard her whisper quietly. "Don't…get your hopes up and make me into the person you want me to be. I have flaws, too, Ace."

"We all do," he told her. "But I want to know all of yours." He pulled back and brushed the hair from her face. "Look, I know that it might seem weird because I've known you for like, a week, and I just told you how many other girls I've been with which makes me look really bad and fishy and all that stuff, but I promise that that's not in any way how I see you at all."

"Yeah, this is a little weird, considering I've only known you a week," Sora giggled, and Ace just smiled. "But thanks, I guess. Glad to know you're not just trying to get into my pants."

"Please, if I wanted to, then I would have done it already," Ace bragged teasingly, and Sora slapped his shoulder playfully. Ace brought her into him again, her body like ice against his flesh – refreshing but at the same time tinged with a chilly burn. He felt her breathing become rhythmic as she fell asleep against him almost instantly. He smiled to himself, glad that he could make this strong woman feel safe – feel at home.

He closed his eyes, letting out a breath. "Good night, Sora."


	9. Chapter 9: Gift Ideas

Marco always woke up early.

Whenever just a leak of sunlight entered the room, he was up and ready to go. Light gave him energy, and reminded him that there were things that needed to be done. But today, he allowed himself to sleep in a little – rest was needed. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, lifting his arms to stretch out the morning tire. He headed to the bathroom to wash up, taking a deep breath as he stared in the mirror.

What was he even doing? He had come here again, so ecstatic to see Sora – the woman he would die for – and yet at the back of his mind, he knew that she could never see him that way. What was he doing, waiting around, hoping that one day, she'd wake up and realize that he was what she wanted?

He scoffed to himself, shaking his head as he wiped his hands. As though _that _happened often. He left the bathroom and pulled on a black shirt, not bothering to button it up as he went downstairs.

The bar was busier than normal, full of chatter and laughter as people came in for breakfast. He always wondered what a bar was doing serving breakfast, but never asked Sora about it; she seemed to run a good place, as everyone here was always happy and they had a record of zero bar fights.

"Oy, where's Sora?" Marco heard someone ask. He turned to see Eiichi wiping his forehead. He and two other people seemed to be taking care of the bar, but the woman in question was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know," Marco said, shrugging and shaking his head.

"She hasn't come down yet; I thought she went out with you," Eiichi said, and Marco shook his head. This was odd. "Sora normally tells me when she's going out so I can call someone to come in, but I don't know where she is."

"I just got up," Marco said, shaking his head. He gestured upstairs. "Want me to check her room?"

Eiichi scoffed and waved Marco off. "Sora wouldn't be sleeping. It's like, eleven thirty. She probably went out."

"I'll just go check. If not, then I'll go out and look for her," Marco offered, heading back up the stairs. He sighed, shaking his head. Where could she have possibly gone? If Eiichi didn't see her leave, then where else could she be? She wasn't the kind of person to jump out of her window to escape from working at her own bar.

Marco knocked three times loudly and pushed open the door. The breath caught in his chest on the sight he saw – Sora was still in bed. Not only was she still in bed, but she was in bed with _Ace_. The dark haired man had his arm wrapped around her, her knee in between his as a leg rest and only his feet under the blankets that Sora was wrapped in. The woman's slender arm was draped over Ace's waist and she seemed to still be sound asleep, breathing into Ace's chest.

"Sora," Marco said, trying speak loudly without getting angry. How did this even happen? What did they _do_ last night? He vaguely remembered hearing Thatch pound on the wall last night. He cleared his throat. "Sora."

She groaned. "What?" she said into Ace's chest.

Marco felt his chest tighten, trying his best not to yell. "Sora, it's time to get up."

"What? No, stop, it's too early," she said, lifting her hand to wave Marco off.

"It's eleven thirty."

Sora exploded out of bed, throwing the blanket off her. Her hair was tangled but her eyes were no longer tainted with sleep. She stared at Marco in disbelief. "_What_? It's eleven thirty?"

Ace groaned and lifted himself out of bed. He grabbed Sora's wrist and plopped down into the mattress again. "Sleep," he told her, voice still scratchy.

Sora pulled her hand away and swung her legs over bed, running a hand through her hair, trying to comb it as she stepped into a pair of slippers. "Oh, my God, how is it eleven thirty?" she asked Marco frantically, flipping her hair and pulling it all into a messy bun.

Marco shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know. How are you still asleep at eleven thirty?"

"I don't know. I just didn't wake up," Sora said, exhaling deeply. She turned to Marco. "Is Eiichi pissed?"

Marco shook his head, chuckling. "Just worried."

Ace rolled to where Sora was on the edge of bed, wrapped his arms around her waist. "Sleep."

"I have to work," Sora told him, her voice becoming slightly gentler. She patted Ace on the head, standing up and pulling out of his grasp. She picked up some clothes out of her dresser. "Okay, I'm going to go change and stuff so tell Eiichi I'll be down in a bit," Sora said to Marco, who nodded and moved aside to let her pass to go to the bathroom.

Ace groaned and rolled over so that his back was facing the sun. "What did you do last night?" Marco asked quietly when the bathroom door had closed.

Ace stretched his arms and opened his eyes slightly to look at Marco. He shook his head as he inhaled sharply, still sleepy. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me."

Ace propped himself up now, raising an eyebrow. "Why would I lie?"

Marco smiled, nodding. He could tell in Ace's voice that the man was being honest. Plus, knowing Sora, there was no way anything could have happened. Why was Marco even worried in the first place? He smiled. "Just making sure."

Ace fell back into bed, yawning and closing his eyes again. "I'll be down in a bit. Just let me roll around for a little longer," he told Marco, who just laughed and closed the door behind him.

"Do I look like shit?" Marco heard Sora ask as she came out of the bathroom. She was dressed in a slightly wrinkled cropped shirt that exposed her midriff and her signature grey shorts, boots covering her calves.

Marco shook his head. "You're always beautiful," he told her.

Sora laughed, slapping his shoulder playfully. "Oh, stop," she glanced around, her eyes landing on the closed door. "Where's Ace?"

"Gonna sleep for a little longer."

Sora scoffed, rolling her eyes as she made a move for the stairs. "I should tell Eiichi it's Ace's fault I'm late. He's so warm, it was too comfortable to get up, I guess."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Warm?"

"Oh, like, body temperature," Sora clarified. "I was cold last night, so he just came to lie down and stuff," she shrugged it off like it didn't matter, and so Marco believed that it didn't. Sora wasn't the type of woman to be swayed by the antics of men of any man besides—

"You're late," Eiichi pretended to scold upon seeing Sora come down the stairs. He paused and then squinted his eyes. "Wait, so you _were _sleeping?"

Sora grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

Eiichi sighed. "No worries, _boss_," he said, winking at her. "Thatch told me he had to pound on the wall last night 'cause you and Ace were making noise. What were you guys _doing_?"

Marco swallowed a lump in his throat. Sora's jaw dropped playfully and she punched her friend. "Nothing!"

Eiichi, waved her off. "It's okay, you don't have to lie. He's a little young for you, though, don't you think?"

Sora hit him again. "Oh, stop. He's a, ah, nice kid, that's all."

Eiichi shrugged, raising his eyebrows as though he didn't believe her. He tossed an apron at her and she tied it around her waist, not saying another word about Ace. Marco wasn't sure if he had even wanted to hear more or not.

"_Aneki_," Kohaku greeted from a barstool.

"Oh, shit, happy birthday, little man," Sora said, ruffling the boy's hair. "You're like, what, six now?"

Kohaku made a face at her. "Eleven."

"Oh, yeah, eight," Sora teased, and Kohaku rolled his eyes. "Party tonight, am I right?"

Kohaku's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Sora shrugged. "Yeah, you're like nine years old now, nine year olds can have parties."

"Eleven!"

"Right, four."

"_Aneki_!"

Sora laughed, ruffling Kohaku's hair again. "Alright, alright. Go tell your friends that we'll have something at the bar tonight. And because you're seven now, you can have one cup of sake and that's it," she said, holding up one finger and poking Kohaku's forehead, and nose, and chin, and cheek, as though making a point.

Eiichi shook his head, laughing. "You'd be a terrible mother."

Sora grinned. "Yeah, yeah, okay, run along, kiddo," Sora said, shooing Kohaku.

"I can go out?" Kohaku asked, raising an eyebrow as though thinking this was a trick. Even Eiichi and Marco seemed a little surprised; Sora was quite protective over Kohaku and normally didn't let him leave the bar without supervision.

"Yeah, you're eleven, right? You can go out by yourself. Don't get in trouble or I'll demote you to a two year old," Sora told him with a wink, watching as his face lit up again, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"Thanks, _Aneki_!" Kohaku said, hopping off the barstool.

"I'll get your gift today," Sora called after him.

Kohaku made an over exaggerated pouty face. "You still never got anything yet?"

"I was busy yesterday," she responded, waving him off.

"With Ace?" Kohaku fired back, giggling.

Sora opened her mouth to say something, but Kohaku raced out of the place like his life depended on it his laughter fading away as he ran. Sora sighed and rolled her eyes as Eiichi chuckled. "See? I'm not the only one that's been noticing you with Ace."

"He's just a friend," Sora insisted, furrowing her brows at Eiichi.

"Whatever you say," he said airily, shrugging. "It's okay, you know. It's nice to see you having fun hanging out with someone other than yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Eiichi smiled at her gently. "Just, ah, I like that you seem happier," he said, and Sora seemed a little surprised by his answer, as Marco saw her expression falter for a brief moment. "If he makes you happy, Sora, you should just be with him more. Everyone likes seeing you happy."

"We're friends," Sora said again, moving past Eiichi to grab food the kitchen pushed out, successfully ending the conversation. Marco sat at the bar, not really sure what to think.

"Get you anything?" Eiichi asked, seeming to know that Marco was in a daze.

"Yeah, ah, just something to eat. Anything's fine," Marco told him.

It was the age difference. They were so far apart in age that when she had first come onto the ship, she had been a kid, but she had noticed Marco right away. Now that she had grown into a beautiful woman, Marco was the one that noticed her. But it had been too late..

When she had told him a few years ago about how she had a crush on him when she was younger, Marco couldn't help but be weighed down with heavy disappointment. It was too late now that the crush was over; if Marco did anything out of the ordinary, it would scare her away and that was the last thing he wanted. Because she had come clean and they had laughed about it, it was the same as placing Marco in the friend zone forever.

But if that's what made her happy for now, then Marco would oblige. He would be patient. Maybe one day, she would see.

Or, maybe not.

"Oy, small boobs," called a voice from the base of the stairs. Sora turned from the bar to see Ace standing there in a green cotton shirt and wrinkled black shorts.

"What up, studly?" she asked back, sliding over a drink to someone at the counter. She turned around to grab some food and slipped past Ace to deliver it to a table. She moved past him again to grab another platter. Ace stuck is arm out, blocking her.

"What're you doing?" he asked, grinning.

"Working," Sora told him, placing a hand on his chest as she moved by him again to drop off breakfast at a customer's table.

"Come out with me today. I still haven't been shown around," he said, still smiling.

"I'm working," Sora laughed, shaking her head. "You can't keep stealing me from work, Ace."

"I'm not stealing you if deep down inside, you _want _to come," he replied.

"No dice."

Ace plopped down in the barstool next to Marco, the two shaking hands in greeting. Ace leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand. "Oy, small boobs," he called again.

"What?" Sora asked, pretending to be annoyed as she turned to Ace with her hand on her hip.

"How many times have I called you 'small boobs' and you responded?" Ace teased, causing Sora to roll her eyes.

"Busy right now, studly. I'll play with you later," Sora told him, waving him off.

"Ah, I hope you do," he teased, receiving a look from Sora. "Oh, come on, you set that one up."

Sora just ignored him, walking around her bar with a pitcher and refilling glasses, taking orders.

"Need help?" Ace asked when Sora returned to the counter.

She scoffed. "Don't offer if you're not serious."

Ace held out his hands. "Come on, I'm totally serious. I can help."

"Have you ever even worked a day in your life?" Sora asked, laughing as though Ace were telling a bad joke.

Ace pretended to be insulted. "Yeah, I work all the time. I clean and stuff on the ship, I run my division, all that stuff," Ace said, like this was something to boast about.

Sora snorted, holding back a laugh. "Yeah, I did that, too, studly, but you've never worked in a bar. Thanks for the offer but I don't think you can do it."

Marco saw the fire in Ace's eyes ignite. Marco chuckled to himself; both second division commanders had a problem with never standing down when given a challenge, no matter how mundane. Ace got off the barstool with a purpose, marching behind the bar and pulling an apron off a hook.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow as Ace folded the apron over so that it would only cover his waist, and then tying it behind him.

"Helping," Ace stated as though this were already obvious.

"It's not as easy as it looks," Sora warned, but didn't make a move to stop him.

"Do your worst, woman!" Ace told her, raising both fists in the air. Sora just laughed.

"Alright, then. I can help for now, but I have to leave a little later to buy something for Kohaku's birthday," she informed him, handing him a few cups to fill with water.

"It's his birthday?"

Sora nodded. "He's eleven. I already know what I wanted to get him, but I probably won't give it to him until later. I'm throwing him a party tonight, so that'll be his present for now."

"I'll go with you," Ace offered, spilling water all over the counter as he tried to pour. Sora sighed and did it for him as the man grinned sheepishly.

"You don't need to buy Kohaku anything," Sora said, waving him off.

"But I want to," insisted Ace. "It'd be cool, right? He's a nice kid."

Sora just shrugged. "Whatever, it's your money," she said like she didn't care, but Marco could see the small smile curving her lips. She was actually happy that Ace was getting a birthday gift for Kohaku, being kind to someone that meant a lot to her.

"Ah, you're working," Eiichi noticed. It wasn't a question, but rather an observation. He raised one eyebrow at Ace, and then raised the other at Sora, trying his best not to smile.

"He wanted to help," Sora tried to explain, sounding as though she were defending herself, but Eiichi just shrugged.

Ace pounded his fist into his hand. "Alright, what's first?" he asked Eiichi.

"He spilled water," Sora said as she moved past Eiichi to deliver an order, gesturing to the puddle of water near Marco. Ace scratched his head, still grinning like a kid.

Eiichi raised his eyebrows, inhaling as he scratched his head, trying to think of somewhere to put Ace. "Uh, okay, well, you can carry food to the tables?"

"Oy, don't let him do that, he'll drop the food," Sora said as she passed by again, picking up another tray to bring food to more customers.

"Okay, then, um, maybe clean tables," Eiichi suggested.

"Kaoru and Shinji are already bussers today," said Sora as she passed by again, moving around the bar. She was holding a giant bowl of sake, which could only be for the rather giant captain sitting in his usual giant booth.

Eiichi chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, man. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. Anything? I can, uh, pour beer from the tap and sweep and stuff?" Ace tried, shrugging. He heard Marco chuckle teasingly and Ace made a face at him.

"Oy, useless, take off that apron before Sora gets mad. She loves her bar," Marco joked, and Ace just laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm not even useless," he tried to argue, as he dodged out of Sora's way, the woman darting back into the kitchen to grab more food.

"How about this, studly," Sora called, poking her head out from the kitchen. She motioned for Ace to move closer. "You can _help_ me deliver food and in an hour or two we'll go out and get something for Kohaku and when we come back you can help me set up for his party," she said, smiling. Then, she spoke quietly so that only Ace could hear her over the noise, and added with a smirk, "Or if that's too much for you, then I can just ask Marco to help me."

"It's not," Ace told her as a matter of fact, making a face at her and ruffling her hair. "You know people are going to start talking if you keep up with those Marco jokes."

"I already told you I don't care," Sora said with a shrug. "Marco already knows about my little crush and we're totally friends and any rumors started will just be ignored. Right, Marco?" she called behind Ace, catching the blonde's attention at the table.

"Hmm? Whatever you say," Marco said, waving her off although he obviously did not even hear what she had said. Ace rolled his eyes.

"See?" Sora said with a shrug, pulling out a plate of rice, _tamagoyaki_, broiled salmon, and a bowl of miso soup. She placed them down in front of Marco. "Late breakfast," she said, smiling at him.

"Thanks." Marco snapped his chopsticks and started eating right away – anything to keep his mind from the humming feeling of jealousy gnawing away at his stomach.

Sora returned to Ace, who raised both his eyebrows at her. He asked quietly, "How can you not even tell that he totally wants you to make his miso soup in the morning?"

Sora slapped Ace playfully. "That's not even true. How many times do I need to tell you that we're best friends? Like, siblings almost, one of which – me – who has had really weird, confused incestual feelings for a very short time as a young child, but now those feelings are no more. Poof," she said, making the motion with her hand. "Gone with the wind." She swept her hands slowly, wiggling her fingers to emphasize the wind part.

Ace just shook his head, his hair flopping with the movement. "Whatever you say, small boobs. Don't freak out if there's some sudden confession and come back running to daddy 'cause daddy's just gonna tell you that I told you so and give you a spanking for not listening."

Sora scoffed at Ace's entire prediction. "Spanking? Please. I'm fairly certain that—"

"Anything you want to do to me regarding spanking me is going to come around to bite you in the ass," Ace interrupted with a joking warning, making Sora just laugh. A ceramic plate with more food was slid over to Sora.

"Gonna help me?" she asked, turning to Ace.

"Yeah," he told her, reaching for the plate.

"Oh, watch out, it's hot—" Sora started, but Ace lifted it off the counter with no problem.

He furrowed his brows. "Flame body," he reminded her.

"Oh, lucky you. They're kinda hot for me."

Ace just smiled. "Where's this supposed to go?"

Sora gestured to Whitebeard's Table. "That's Izou's; he's on _Oyaji_'s table. Don't drop it."

"Gotcha." Ace slid over to the table where Izou was sitting, gripping the plate tightly between his fingers to avoid dropping it.

Izou chuckled upon seeing Ace. "Well, good afternoon," he greeted. "You know we don't have to work while we're here. Sora feeds division commanders for free. We just leave her giant tips."

"Yeah, but I'm just helping," Ace said proudly, placing Izou's food down on the table. "It's kind of busy and she'll be swamped."

"That's sweet of you," Izou commented, lifting a piece of egg to his colored lips. "I heard you both went to the waterfall yesterday."

"Yeah, it was fun," Ace said with a grin, remembering yesterday and pretending as though the last part with that grave hadn't happened. The broken expression on Sora's face – he never wanted to see it again, even in memories.

Izou chewed his food delicately, thinking of the right words. "She doesn't take just anyone there, you know," he said, his inflection towards the end of his sentence implying an underlying meaning.

"I, ah, kind of went off the trail and took her there," Ace corrected, scratching his head and choosing to ignore Izou's tone.

Izou was silent for a bit, placing more food in his mouth and chewing slowly. "Remember, that although it may not seem like it, Sora is a very private person. She wouldn't have let you deviate from the trail if a part of her didn't trust you. Trust _me_, Portgas D. Ace, when I advise you to just tread carefully around what you might have seen there."

Ace knew at that moment that Izou was referring to the grave. But Ace just shrugged and shook his head, pretending like he hadn't seen anything. "We just swam, that's all."

"Oy, you gonna chitchat or come work?" Sora called from the counter, gesturing to the plate of food pushed out from the kitchen. Ace had never been more grateful for a conversation to end.

"See you," Ace told Izou, who just waved, wiping his mouth as Ace returned to the bar. He noticed that Sora had left the fish tank there, both fishes that he and Kohaku had caught at the tide pools swimming around enthusiastically. "How awesome are these fish?" he asked Sora, grinning.

The woman laughed. "Only you would be amused by fish. Come on, studly, we have a bar to feed," Sora said, filling a few glasses at the bar with more water.

That was when Ace remembered the picture frame. He hadn't turned it up when he had placed the fish tank, but now he was back here again and it seemed to be pulling his hand in with some magnetic force. Before he knew it, the silver frame was cold between his fingers, and he was staring through a layer of glass at an old photograph.

It was Sora. Her hair wasn't as long as it was now, indicating that this had been some time back, probably closer to around the time she had been a pirate aboard the _Moby Dick_, as her hair was straight and shoulder length. Kohaku was there, too, a younger version of the kid, both of them grinning.

There was a face that Ace didn't recognize, though, a man with stark white-blonde hair that was kept in a neat ponytail over his right shoulder, the top of his head covered by a Marines cap, and Ace could see that the man was dressed in the white Marines coat. He was smiling into the camera too, freckles dotting his cheeks. Ace followed the lines of his body, seeing that the man's arm was wrapped around Sora and she was leaned into him, Kohaku in between the two of them.

"Who's this?" Ace blurted when Sora came back.

Sora looked down and her smile disappeared instantly, that same broken look appearing on her face for a brief moment. Only this time, it was erased by another smile. She gently took the frame from Ace and placed it back down on the counter, obviously not wanting to look at the picture for any longer. "That's, ah, just, um – his name was Kenjiro."

Ace remembered the characters on the grave reading the same thing. "This is where I knew him from," he said, nodding as the memory came back. He knew that the name had been familiar – Ace had just needed to see the face that went with it. "Takamune Kenjiro – _'Meitou_ of the Marines.'"

A _meitou _was a rare type of _katana_, superior to regular _katana_ in every way. Takamune Kenjiro was well known by Marines and pirates alike for his skill in the art of the sword.

Sora nodded and turned so that her face was conveniently hidden as she placed her bare hands on another plate. "Yep."

"He was pretty neat, I mean, the best swordsman in the Marines besides Mihawk himself," Ace continued, eyes flicking back to the picture.

Again, Sora didn't look at him, staring at the food on the plate as though trying to make it explode with her mind as she fought to stay calm. "Mhm."

Ace didn't notice this, though, as his eyes were still on the picture, so he kept going. "But what's a pirate doing hanging with a Marine—"

"_Stop_," Sora said sharply, and Ace felt a burst of energy as her _haki_ released and the whole bar was instantly silenced. Ace could see her fingers on the plate trembling – unsure if they were trying too hard to hold onto the plate, or simply gripping them so hard that her hands shook. She spoke quietly, her voice faltering. "Don't ask me about that person. I can't answer."

Ace just nodded, and Sora turned on her heel and walked away to deliver the tray. Chatter in the bar resumed carefully, cautiously, all customers keeping one eye on the bar as though trying to gauge whether or not it was okay to speak again. But commotion resumed as normal, people acting as though that hadn't just happened.

The dark haired man just stood there, dumbfounded. Damn, every time they did something together, he always seemed to manage to unnecessarily provoke her with something he did or said. He was running out of chances; he didn't want Sora to stop hanging out with him because he unfortunately seemed to talk about touchy subjects for her.

Marco had just watched the whole thing silently, feeling in his chest the hollow pang that came with seeing that familiar look on Sora's face. Admittedly, it wasn't as prevalent as it had been when the Whitebeard Pirates came to Arashi Island within the past few years, but it still shattered Marco's heart every time.

For Ace to cause some of those feelings of Sora's to resurface and for him to still be standing? Well, that was a feat. _No one _talked about Takamune Kenjiro in front of Sora. Absolutely _no one_.

It wasn't because they were afraid of her reactions; it was out of respect – respect for the woman who had protected them, given up her dream for them. No one also ever wanted to see Sora upset and everyone knew that Takamune Kenjiro was the most sensitive subject anyone could ever bring up with her.

Except Ace, of course. Marco could understand his surprise, being a newcomer and not knowing about delicate subjects with Sora. A simple question – even a lighthearted one – shouldn't have been met with such a retort. But this was different. It was Kenjiro.

Sora returned again, smiling as though nothing had happened. Even if Sora was smiling, Marco knew it wasn't real; he couldn't see the corners of it reach her eyes, he didn't notice the dimples. Just that brief mention of Kenjiro's name and title had set her into such a downward spiral. She was still struggling, four years later.

Marco sat at the bar, chatting with Sora occasionally as she passed. He missed her so much while on the _Moby Dick_, he lost track of time. When he could see her, that was when he lived. But that had never been enough – she didn't see him that way anymore, so all he could do was silently appreciate her presence.

Pretending like nothing happened, Sora happily tended to Ace, teaching him about things to do in the bar – pouring beer from the tap, how to refill water without turning the table into a puddle, clearing tables and delivering food more efficiently – and Marco couldn't help but be a little envious. Ace, who had never met Sora before a little over a week ago was receiving so much of her attention.

But then again, Marco understood. He could tell that in Ace, Sora saw the reflection of Kenjiro. Marco wouldn't dare mention it, though, no matter how true it might have been. Sora was uncomfortable talking about anything regarding Takamune Kenjiro, ever. The last thing Marco ever wanted to do was cause that girl pain. He loved her too much.

However, in this case, love wasn't enough. To confess meant being selfish, and so Marco would just stay silent. He fought with himself every time the _Moby Dick _docked on Arashi Island shores – over whether or not he should just risk everything. But he couldn't. No, not after Sora had suffered so completely, not after she had been consumed in heartache. She was smiling now. That was what Marco wanted – for her to be happy.

It was hard, that's all. Hard to see her happy with another man, even though she technically wasn't _with _Ace. Marco could see her face light up when they spoke, her laughter tinkling when he said something funny, her eyes flicking back to him when she left the bar to make sure he was doing alright – Marco saw all of it. He couldn't believe he had to go through this _again_.

"Uh, Marco?" a voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Sora in front of him, her apron tossed aside. "You alright, hot stuff?"

Marco nodded, smiling at her despite himself. "Yeah, sorry, just fazing out."

"Oh, okay, well, Ace and I are going to go pick something up for Kohaku for his birthday. Could you make sure Eiichi doesn't go bonkers without me?"

"Oy," Eiichi called, hearing her. Sora grinned, waving. "Bye, thanks for leaving me again, oh mighty owner of the bar she never works at," he teased, ruffling her hair.

"This is for Kohaku," Sora said, rolling her eyes.

Eiichi scoffed. "Yeah, I bought him a gift already when I was _off_. I'm responsible."

Sora stuck her tongue out. "We'll be back soon."

"No, no, take your time, I like taking care of your bar by myself," Eiichi continued, waving her off.

"Bye," Sora laughed, walking out from behind the bar. She placed a hand on Marco's shoulder gently. "You sure you're okay? Did you want to come or something? Get some fresh air? I can just ask Izou to sit with Eiichi."

Marco waved her off, chuckling. "Nah, it's alright, go have fun shopping. I already got something for Kohaku yesterday."

"Damn," Sora sighed, realizing that she probably should have done this earlier. She patted her pockets, making sure she had money, and then together with Ace, headed out into the city.

"Hey, uh, I have a question," Ace said when the bar was behind them.

"What?"

"Does Eiichi like you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sora snorted. "What did you say?"

"Yeah, I mean he was looking at you all day and teasing you and stuff, I don't know, I can't even tell anymore, there are so many guys going ga-ga over you."

Sora burst out laughing, shoving Ace. "Are you kidding me? Eiichi is gay!"

Ace hadn't expected that one. He furrowed his brows. "_What_?"

"Yeah! I mean, he's a couple years older than me and everything, but I grew up with him nonetheless; I know these things. Eiichi is five thousand percent gay," Sora said, smiling as she nodded. "Him and Michio have a thing," she added, making a swirly motion with her finger as though conjoining the two men.

"What?" Ace said, shaking his head. "Michio had a _wife_, and he has _kids_! And the guy's like, ten years older than Eiichi!"

"Yeah, so? People change when they find someone that is exactly what they need, you know?" Sora said, shrugging. "And Eiichi was that person for Michio. Granted that Michio still likes to make jokes about watching me become a lesbian—"

"Can I watch, too?" Ace interrupted.

Sora laughed and rolled her eyes. "—Eiichi goes over his place after work and—"

Ace put his hands over his ears as tightly as he could. "Nope, stop it, shut up, I don't need to hear that!" he said extremely loudly, talking over her.

Sora pulled down his arm, giggling. "Oh, my God, you're such a little kid. I was gonna say that Eiichi helps take care of Michio's sons. They're really nice together, you know." She smirked up at Ace. "My golly, you are such a jealous person I'm not sure if I want to laugh at you or cry for you."

Ace's jaw dropped playfully. "I was not jealous."

"Don't even! You just thought that my super _gay_ childhood friend had a thing for me because he was teasing me. We're not five anymore, Ace. Plus I'm pretty sure I'm not his type."

Ace shrugged. "I don't know, your boobs are pretty nonexistent, you could pass for a guy," he teased, receiving a slap on the arm from Sora. "Mm, so what're you gonna get for Kohaku?"

"Oh, I already know what I'm getting him," Sora said, waving him off. "I've been thinking about it for weeks, but I'm not going to give it to him until later when the time is right. I just want to get it now."

Ace was confused, but didn't say anything. "Okay, what should I get him?"

"I don't know, you're the one that wanted to come and buy something for him."

"Does he go to the beach?"

"Don't steal my gift idea."

Ace shoved her teasingly. "I don't even know what you're getting him."

"Don't steal my gift idea," Sora said, again, her eyebrows falling as she made a face. "I was thinking about it forever. Get your own idea."

Ace laughed, covering her face with his palm. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was thinking of getting him like, a board or something to go surfing. He seems like the surfing type—"

Sora slapped his shoulder, hard. Ace rubbed the spot she hit, seeing a red mark where her had had struck him. "What the hell was that for?"

"That's my idea!"

"Or you just copied _my _idea. I said it first, so technically, it has been stated that it was my idea."

Sora jabbed a finger at him. "Oh, my God, if you steal my idea, Portgas D. Ace, I will end you."

"You stole _my _idea, de Belleville Sora," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at her. Sora pressed her palm into his cheek and pushed him away, walking ahead of him.

"We can split for it," Ace suggested, jogging to catch up with her. "So we get him like, a nice body board. Wait, not just a _nice _body board, but like a _really_ nice one."

Sora narrowed her eyes, humming as she stared at Ace through slits in her face. "Ugh, okay, fine. But if he asks, then it was my idea."

Ace made a face. "No, you don't get to take credit for my awesome idea."

"It was mine first!" Sora insisted.

"I will bitch slap you," Ace warned her, lifting his hand like he was actually going to hit her, causing Sora to burst out into little giggles. "We split cash for it, so we'll split for it idea-wise. Okay? Fifty-fifty."

"Whatever," Sora shrugged, waving Ace off as they entered a board shop.

"Oy, Sora," greeted the shop owner, waving at the woman. He was a young man with long black hair tied neatly behind his neck. He was wearing a slim fitting white shirt that showed off his tan, lean muscles and a pair of swim trunks.

"Hey, Caleb," she said, smiling.

The young grinned. "Nice to see you back. Decided to get Kohaku that board?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we're gonna get a nicer one, though."

Caleb raised both eyebrows in inquiry. "'We'?" he asked, smirking.

Sora ignored his tone, pointing a thumb back at Ace nonchalantly. "Oh, yeah, this is the second rate division commander of _Oyaji_'s crew."

"Hey, I'm not second rate," Ace said, frowning at the woman as she walked off to examine body boards. He held out his hand to Caleb, shaking the owner's hand firmly. "Portgas D. Ace. Nice to meet you."

"Kemuri Caleb. Likewise," the other man said, smiling. He crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at Sora. "I've heard about you, and I agree; it really is nice to see our Sora out with a—"

"This one," Sora cried from across the store at an unnecessary volume, pointing at a board on the wall.

Caleb chuckled, shaking his head as he made his way over to her. He looked up at the board. It was decorated with puffy white clouds and a sky blue background. "Epoxy slip bottom, polypropylene core, custom design cut by me, of course – it's one of our best," he told her.

"Yeah, that one," Sora said, nodding.

"I like this one better," Ace said, pointing at the board mounted two places over from the one Sora was looking at. It was the same size and the same price, just that the design was a swirl of red, orange, yellow, and blue flames.

"They're the same," Sora said, cocking her hip.

"Yeah, but this one has fire on it," Ace stated, raising an eyebrow at her. "Much more awesome than the sky."

"Excuse me?" Sora challenged, smirking as she raised her eyebrow. "I have the _Kaze Kaze no Mi, _my name is _Sora_ – I _am _the sky."

Ace mirrored her expression. "Exactly."

Sora pretended to laugh walking towards him with her head cocked confidently. "Oh, Portgas D. Ace, are you telling me right now that you think your little fire shit is more awesome than my _entire_ being?"

"That's about the size of it," Ace responded, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at her.

"Oy, oy, don't fight in here," Caleb warned, not sure if he was joking or not.

"Doesn't matter where we fight. I'll still kill this second rate pirate with a flick of my finger," Sora said, poking her slender finger into Ace's chest with the last four words.

"I'd beat the shit out of you so fast that your _soul _would fly out of you and by the time it made a trip around the world and got back to your body, your small little boobs would have finally developed," Ace retorted, trying his hardest to maintain a straight face.

Caleb could see Sora's lip twitching as she struggled not to laugh. "And when I come back to my body with my new giant, perky boobs, I'll shove them in your face and tell you that you can't have them."

"Ha! Doesn't matter what you try and tell me because everyone knows that daddy makes the rules. But, oh wait, who's your daddy, de Belleville?" Ace looked around as though there were other people in the store who cold provide an answer. Of course, there was only Caleb, who was just standing with his hand over his mouth trying to muffle his laughter. Ace pointed a thumb at himself. "Oh, yeah, it's _me_. _I'm_ your daddy, so therefore, _I _make the rules."

The two stared each other down, both of them trying not to crack a smile, until simultaneously, Ace and Sora both burst out laughing, Sora pressing her hand into Ace's chest trying to push him away. Ace scooped her up over his shoulder, laughing. "Alright Caleb, give us the fire one."

"Sky one!" Sora cried, still giggling and trying to squirm out of Ace's grasp, pounding on his back. "Caleb, don't forget that you and I are friends! Don't trust this scoundrel! He's a _pirate_!"

Caleb chuckled, shaking his head. He held up his hands. "Not getting in the middle of this."

"Oy, you're a good man," Ace said with a grin. "Miss de Belleville is a little delusional though, so uh, yeah, alright, fire one," he told Caleb. He lifted Sora again, looking back at her. "Hey, stop hitting me. I'm going to throw you if you don't stop."

"Stop scolding me like I'm your kid," Sora shot back, continuing to jam her fist into Ace's back.

Ace ignored her, looking at Caleb instead. "I thought I already told her that I'm her daddy and that I make the rules? Fire one, please."

"Sky one!" Sora cried, still unable to break Ace's grip.

"You know, ah, I can custom design one if you want," Caleb offered. "It'll take a few days but I can remake that model and just paint it with flames and a sky."

"Oy, you heard that, small boobs?" Ace called back to Sora.

"I guess we can do half and half," Sora said, sighing. She stopped struggling, resting her chin in her hand as though giving up. "We don't need to give it to Kohaku today, so you can take your time making it, Caleb."

The owner chuckled. "Sure. I'll make it a little smaller to fit Kohaku better and do a flame and sky design, no extra charge."

Sora smiled at him. "Really? Damn, thanks Caleb. Free drinks for life."

Caleb pointed a finger at her. "You said it, not me. I'll be there for Kohaku's party tonight, though."

"Oh, he told you?"

Caleb nodded. "He came in today to look at boards."

Sora grinned, nodding all-knowingly. "I know; he's been talking about wanting one."

Caleb smirked, heading to the cash register. "What a good sister," he said, smiling. "I'll grab an order form from the back, hold on." Caleb slipped through a door to the back area of his shop.

"Thanks," Sora called, but she wasn't facing Caleb anymore, as Ace was now walking towards the register. She giggled. "Ace, let me down so I can grab my money."

"Ace? Who is Ace? I only know a daddy." Sora could hear the sarcasm in his tone.

"I'm not calling you daddy."

"Then I guess you my shoulder will become good friends."

"Please, Ace? Let me down."

Ace raised his other hand to his ear. "Who is this Ace?"

Sora mustered the strength to slip out of Ace's weakened grip. She landed on her feet and stumbled, but only for a moment, before she pushed him hard against the wall, pressing her body against his. Her right hand lowered to his shorts, a few cold fingers slipping beneath the fabric by his hip. Her other arm snaked up his chest and around his neck, and Ace caught a glimpse of her eyes – a sultry mix of dark blues – before he felt her lips near his jaw line. "Oh, _daddy_," she whispered again, her voice more of a moan than anything, and Ace felt his stomach clench, the feeling of pure, sheer _lust_ nearly overtaking him, surging through his veins, and—

But then, of course, she pulled away, sticking her tongue out at him playfully before giggling and spinning on her heels, marching towards the register. Ace took a deep breath, needing to recover this time. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Two days in a row? That's getting hotter every time you do it," Ace told her in a joking tone, but was actually completely serious. "Definitely do it more, though. In private. With a bed nearby." Sora laughed, shaking her head at his playful words. Ace shrugged. "Or, you know, no bed. We can do it on the floor or against the wall, on the beach, or in a tree – wherever you want to go, you dirty girl."

Sora laughed again, rolling her eyes. "Never gonna happen. I'm humoring you when I do that. You know that, right?"

Ace furrowed his brows. "But it's not funny. I can't even tell if you're joking."

"Well, I am."

Ace smirked. "Are you sure? 'Cause you're a pretty big cock tease – and only to me. Not even to Marco, with whom you're _so _obsessed about. So, I think that's a sign that you want some of this." Ace gestured to himself.

Sora scoffed. "Not if you were the last man on earth."

Ace frowned, deflating. "Ouch, de Belleville."

She just giggled as Caleb returned to the front. Sora pulled out a few crumpled bills form her pocket as Caleb punched in numbers into the register. Ace was at her side, also bringing out some of his own money. "Let me," he said, putting his arm out in front of Sora, blocking her.

"Oy, we're splitting for Kohaku's gift," she said, pushing him.

"It's still from the both of us, since we made the design and everything, and the idea is from both our brains. But I'll pay for the board, and how about you just buy me a nice dinner and we'll consider it even," he offered, noticing Caleb smirk to himself a little. "Oh, and we have to call it a date. Or no dice."

"Or I can just pay for my half of the board," Sora said, trying to give Caleb her money. She narrowed her eyes at the owner of the shop when he didn't take the bills. "Caleb. We're friends."

"Just take him to dinner," Caleb said, taking Ace's money instead.

Ace grinned and Sora's jaw dropped. "Caleb, you just _betrayed_ me."

"I did not," he replied, smiling as he shook his head, handing Ace change.

"You did. We're not friends anymore," Sora said, pouting playfully. Caleb just shrugged and Sora stomped her foot. "Damn both of you! Traitors all around!"

The two men laughed and Ace smiled at Caleb gratefully, the other man just nodding discretely. Sora, of course, in her fit, didn't notice any of this. "This is not fair," she continued. "Kohaku's _my_ brother."

"So? You _did _buy him a gift. I mean, technically _I _paid for it for now, but you'll pay me back, so you bought it, too," Ace explained.

"I'm not taking you to dinner," Sora stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Then, I guess that pretty board Caleb is making for Kohaku is a gift only from daddy," Ace retorted, smirking as she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, then," she said almost immediately, giving up. Ace smiled; it was nice how much Sora cared about Kohaku. "Just tell me when you want to eat and we can go."

"On a date," Ace finished, putting an arm around her.

Sora mumbled gibberish under her breath, mimicking Ace and he just chuckled. "Alright, then, Caleb. See you in a few days to pick up the board."

Caleb waved goodbye as Ace and Sora headed out of the shop.

* * *

**A/N: The term "make miso soup in the morning" is a Japanese idiom that basically means to be married.**


	10. Chapter 10: Eleventh Birthday Party

Ace and Sora returned to the bar in the later afternoon. The place was clearing out, as people ended their lunches and were heading home to start making dinner. Sora gestured to the door. "Close up for a bit. We have to set up for Kohaku's party."

Ace flipped the sign on the door and moved to the back of the bar where Sora was. She lifted out blue and green streamers from a bag and handed one to Ace. The dark haired man grinned. "Streamers? In a bar? That's cute of you."

"It's a birthday party for my kid brother," Sora replied, rolling her eyes. "Now just put those up somewhere."

"Leaving Ace with decorations?" piped Marco, who was still seated in the same place at the bar. "Not a good idea," he teased.

Ace made a face at the first division commander. "Oy."

"Sora, I heard Michio talking about the carnival coming in tomorrow," Marco said, turning to Sora. Every few years a wandering carnival stopped at Arashi Island. They set up overnight and the next three days were always quite hectic as everyone tried to make time to attend. "You gonna go?"

Sora shook her head, giving Marco the answer he expected. "Nah, I don't—"

"HOLY SHIT A CARNIVAL?" Ace screamed, grabbing Sora's shoulders and shaking her violently. "How can you not want to go to a _carnival_, woman? It's a _carnivaaaaaaal_!"

Sora blinked, trying to rid her eyes of the stars caused by Ace's rapid shaking. "I don't go to the carnival. I'm like, over twenty."

"So? Marco's over twenty, and he goes. Right?" Ace turned to the blonde for confirmation, and Marco just shrugged.

"If the other commanders feel like going then I go with them."

"Holy shit, we have to go, Sora. A carnival sounds awesome," Ace breathed excitedly, flashing Sora a grin.

"Marco just said he's going," Sora said, waving Ace off. "Go with them. I don't go to carnivals."

Ace made a face as she made a move to walk away to start setting up. A tiny smirk pinched the corners of his lips. "I want to go eat."

Sora turned around, the middle of her face creasing with confusion. "What?"

"You said to let you know when I want to eat, right? I want to eat at the carnival," Ace clarified, crossing his arms over his chest.

The woman's jaw dropped. "No, you can't do that!"

"You didn't put any restrictions on _where_ we could eat."

"Ace, I don't want to go to the carnival."

"Too bad, small boobs. In two days' time, we're going to the carnival. Yeah? Yeah? Yeah, it'll be fun!" Ace grinned, pumping his fist victoriously.

"What happened now?" Marco asked, wondering why Ace suddenly had leverage over Sora. Sora _never _went to the carnival. In four years, she didn't do much besides work at the bar, watch Kohaku, and go up to the mountains. But lately she hadn't been working at the bar, Kohaku had been sneaking out to hang out with his friends, and Sora did other things – like eat dinner and have ice cream with Ace – besides go to the mountain, another activity in which Ace participated in.

"Oh, I paid for Kohaku's birthday gift, so Sora owes me a date," Ace explained.

"Really," Marco said, raising his eyebrows at Sora. Jealous twisted around in his gut, the slimy feeling clawing up his throat, threatening to escape and consume him.

"Yeah, but it's just eating and then leaving," she said quickly.

Ace scoffed. "Uh, _no_, unless you want me to take credit for that awesome gift I bought today. You have to cough up at least half of what I paid, Sora. You can't just buy a corndog, tip your hat and be on your way. You also owe me for ice cream I bought at Coral's."

Sora groaned and made a sound like she was crying, trudging off to hang the decorations. Smiling, Ace headed in the other direction to start on the right side of the bar.

The other division commanders came in shortly, also helping out Sora with the decorations. Kohaku appeared as well, a few of his friends in tow. They were around his age; three boys and Ace noticed a younger girl come in also. She had short auburn hair and big eyes, resembling Coral from the ice cream parlor.

"What's up, little man? Happy birthday," Ace greeted, walking over to Kohaku.

He grinned up at Ace. "Thanks. You did a, ah, interesting job with the streamers," he said, gesturing to Ace's corner. He had just wrapped the streamers around the beams on the ceiling and trailed them over chairs. It looked like the corner had been attacked by a spider who spat out the messiest web it could have possibly done and then scattered away.

"Hey, I did my best," Ace told him. "And the joke's on you 'cause that's your corner for you and your friends."

Kohaku just laughed, leading his friends over to the designated area. "You sure it's okay for him to party with pirates?" Ace asked Sora when she returned to the bar.

"Oh, yeah, no big deal," Sora said, shrugging her shoulders. She winked. "Everyone knows he's my kid brother so they don't mess. Pirates have the best parties, don't they?"

"Damn right we do. You gonna drink tonight or no?" Ace asked with a tiny smirk.

Sora laughed. "Definitely not. I told you I'm never drinking around you."

"Afraid your real desires will surface and you'll pounce on me in front of everyone?" he teased, closing the distance between them. He trapped her against the bar wall, his forearm against the wall near her face so he could lean into her body.

"Trying the 'oh daddy' with me?" Sora laughed, pushing him off without much effort. She pointed at herself. "Sorry, I'm immune."

Ace chuckled. "One of these days, small boobs," he warned playfully.

More people started coming in after Sora flipped over the sign on the door back to 'OPEN'. All the division commanders were there, and so was Whitebeard. Eiichi, Michio, and his two sons came, and Coral as well. The Sky Pub was bustling with people, even more so than normal, everyone here to celebrate Kohaku's eleventh birthday.

Ace laid back, deciding not to hang around Sora the entire evening. He had spent a lot of time with her over the last few days and figured that a little space was good. Besides, he hadn't really seen much of his crew, as he had always been trying to attract Sora's attention.

He did, though, allow his eyes to flicker back to her sometimes, watching the way she weaved between people, tracing the curves of her slender, lean figure with his eyes, watching the way her hair fell into her face. And then he would return to conversation with his _nakama_ like nothing happened. It was carefully orchestrated nonchalance.

Sora, on the other hand, was not so calm. After spending the last few hours mentally flailing about actually having to go on a labeled _date_ with Portgas D. Ace – to the _carnival_, of all places – even during the party, Sora was still uneasy. Why had she let him pay for that damn board? Why didn't she just keep fighting to pay for her half of Kohaku's gift? Then she wouldn't be stuck feeling so anxious.

She was conscious of his every move, every time he stood up to call for another drink, every time he waved his hand, every time he smiled at her when they somehow happened to lock eyes although she was across the bar with Kohaku and his friends. Why was this happening? Sora felt like the universe was playing a pretty mean prank on her. Why, suddenly, did it even _matter_? Sora never cared much about men and dating, and she wasn't lying when she said she was 'immune' – she was just…less immune to Ace.

It was different when she teased him, but just that tiny, _tiny_ moment of his body against hers, feeling his breath, consumed by his body heat, noticing the way his wavy hair fell into his eyes –and those _freckles_ – how could Sora be immune to _freckles_? It was impossible to be immune to him.

And to top it all off, he was funny, and charming, and—

Sora shook her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose. What the hell was she thinking?

"You okay?" Kohaku asked, noticing her distress.

"Oh, yeah," Sora said, waving him off and smiling at him. "We bought your gift today."

The younger boy's face lit up as he grinned up at Sora. "Really? _We_?"

"Ace and I split for a gift for you."

Kohaku pressed his lips together and nodded as though forcing himself not to say anything. Sora ruffled his hair. "What?"

Kohaku shook his head. "Nothing."

Sora hummed at him, pushing his face playfully. "Okay, I'm gonna go find Eiichi so we can bring your cake out." She slid out of the booth, making her way towards the bar. She moved behind it just to avoid having to cut through a crowd of people, and she noticed that Ace was walking towards Kohaku's table. Sora shook her head to herself, ducking into the kitchen.

"What's up," Ace said, plopping down next to Kohaku. He spoke to all of the kids at the table. "What'd you guys do today since big sis broke off Kohaku's shackles?"

"We went to the beach," answered the girl sitting next to Kohaku. The boy smiled, nodding.

"Ah, I don't think we've met," Ace said, holding his hand out. "Portgas D. Ace."

The little girl giggled, her tiny hand taking his. "Suzushi Corinne," the girl introduced. "My sister told me about you."

"Oh, no wonder I thought you were familiar. Coral's your sister, huh?"

Corinne nodded. "She told me you bought a lot of ice cream for Sora. I thought it was nice of you."

"Ah, I try," Ace said as though bragging.

"Kohaku, I'm gonna go to the bathroom, okay?" Corinne told Kohaku, who nodded as the girl hopped on to the ground, weaving through the people.

"Dude, you and Corinne?" Ace teased, watching the younger kid blush and look away, shaking his head. "What's going on with you and her?"

"What's going on with you and _Aneki_?" Kohaku replied.

Ace shook his head, shrugging. "Nothing," he said, trailing off. He held out his fist. "Except I got her to agree to going on a date with me."

Kohaku did not bump fists with Ace and instead raised an eyebrow. "Real date this time?"

"Total real date. Now pound it!" Ace said, and Kohaku laughed as he and Ace bumped fists, opening this hands after and making a sound with their mouths like an explosion.

"That's cool, we'll see how that goes," Kohaku said, shrugging.

"She can't ditch out on me this time," Ace assured him.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Why do you insist on bringing down my hopes about Sora?" Ace sighed. That uneasy feeling was settling at the bottom of his stomach.

Kohaku laughed. "That's not what I mean to do. But, it's just, uh, I don't know, thanks for making my sister happy."

That last part was unexpected. "Uh, yeah," was all Ace could really say. He wasn't sure what he even was supposed to say when people told him that Sora was happier. It made him feel warm, and fulfilled, but he couldn't exactly say that.

"Oy, Kohaku!" Sora called from the bar. Kohaku stood up, peering over and seeing that Corinne was sitting with Sora at the bar in front of a massive cake. It was nearly the size of the young girl. It was a three-tier cake, covered in white frosting and decorated with blue, green, and purple icing, with cookie crumbs sprinkled on it as well. Rather than a flat "Happy Birthday Kohaku" written on the cake, protruding from the top of the dessert was a chocolate sign that read the same thing. Twelve candles surrounded the sign, all of them super sized to at least six inches in height.

Kohaku bounded over to the bar, plopping in a barstool next to Corinne, who smiled at the boy. "Happy birthday," she said with a giggle.

Kohaku smiled back. "Thanks."

"Alright," Sora called to the bar, the pirates quieting down as Sora spoke. "As we know, my kid brother has turned eleven today!"

Sora's announcement was met with a rally of loud cheers, making Kohaku laugh. "Before we eat this amazing cake that Eiichi made—" More cheers, "—we need to light the candles and sing happy birthday to Kohaku as loud as we can!"

Sora peered over the heads of the pirates, and instantly locked eyes with Ace. She flicked her wrist, telling him to come over and he leapt out of his seat to be at her side. "Light the candles, Fire Fist."

Ace grinned and enveloped his hand in a soft flame. He spread his fingers and held his hand above the candles, twelve of them igniting. Ace extinguished his flames as the lights were flicked off. "Twelve?" he asked Sora.

"One for good luck," she explained, smiling. "Ready, boys? One, two, three!"

The entire bar erupted into a loud, off tune rendition of 'Happy Birthday', so out of tune because everyone was screaming, but it made Kohaku laugh anyway. When they finished, Kohaku closed his eyes briefly, and blew out the candles, all twelve doused in one breath. The Sky Pub erupted with applause and cheers as the lights came back on.

Eiichi pushed to the front and began carving off chunks of the cake for people, handing the first basketball sized piece to Kohaku, who took it back to their table with Corinne.

Ace headed back to Whitebeard's corner again, deciding to give Sora more space, as she seemed to be having fun chatting with Michio and Eiichi. Ace noticed that Michio's sons were there as well, the twins looking about Kohaku's age, with Michio's tan skin and dark eyes. Ace plopped down next to his captain, joining in with conversation that had started.

"I'm surprised you're not with that Portgas kid right now," Michio said, grinning at Sora.

"Seriously, is that all people can talk about?" Sora asked, slicing a piece of cake for a crewmember that came to pick one up. "How many times have I been teased about that? I'm going to say this now and ten thousand times in the future until I die: Ace and I are just friends."

Michio could hear a slight irritation in her voice. He didn't blame her because it was true; it was what people were talking about. Especially after word spread that Sora and Ace had gone to Kenjiro's grave? No one went there with Sora except for Marco. Marco was the only other person that Sora felt comfortable enough to go there with – everyone else that wanted to visit Kenjiro's grave dodged days when it was known Sora and Marco would go hiking.

Everyone in the village had raised Sora. She was the daughter of then entire Arashi Island; it was important when their daughter had been shattered for the better of four years and then suddenly, skies where blue again. It was a big deal, seeing a smile on their daughter's face – that's why people talked about her and Ace and wanted to know more. Because no matter how much time Marco spent with Sora, she had _never _been so at peace.

And it wasn't that Marco didn't try. It was obvious to virtually everyone except Sora that Marco had real feelings for her and that he did want to make her happy. It's just that he wasn't what she needed.

But was Ace?

It was the question on everyone's mind. Even Michio could see a part of Kenjiro's reflection in the new second division commander. But a part of him hoped that that wasn't the only reason Sora had been clinging to Ace as of lately. Michio had a feeling in his gut; he knew that just like how Eiichi had become exactly what he needed, Ace could become what Sora needed, even if he didn't even _know _what exactly she needed.

So, he just decided to drop it for now. If she wanted to talk, Michio knew she would talk. After all, it had only been a little over a week.

Then again, the length of time the Whitebeard Pirates stayed differed. Ace could be gone in a few days. "Oy, when is Whitebeard leaving?" Michio asked Eiichi quietly as Sora continued to cut cake in Eiichi's place.

Eiichi shrugged. "I don't know. I heard a couple more weeks. But it could change depending on how Whitebeard's feeling. I think it seems like everyone wants to stay longer though since Sora's been in such a good mood."

Michio nodded. "Good."

"Why?"

"Just asking."

Eiichi furrowed his brows. "Okay," he said, handing Michio's sons – Akio and Haruo – a giant slice of cake that the boys took the cake to their table with Kohaku.

Most people would have been anxious with 1,600 pirates stopping in for a vacation, but not Arashi Island. All the residents of the island owed it to Whitebeard – and Sora – for its safety. After Brower Adrian's attack four years ago, Whitebeard had declared the island his, keeping it safe from raiding pirates. Pirates who knew that the previous second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates also lived here knew not to cause trouble when stopping in for supplies. There hadn't been any trouble for years; it had been quite peaceful.

People of Arashi Island were grateful for Whitebeard, as Arashi Island had been a victim to many raids in the past, thanks to its rather convenient location. It wasn't one of the seven islands needed to pass through to reach Raftel and the One Piece – it was in the middle of almost half of the different possible paths and had no effect on log poses whatsoever. It was a place for pirates to stock up, have a drink, and be on their way. Many other pirates, however, didn't come peacefully.

There used to be a lot of constant rebuilding, and people stayed in doors and our of bars to avoid being hassled by rowdy pirates that would come into the village. Few didn't caught trouble, but to majority of pirates, Arashi Island was free game – it wasn't World Government territory, it wasn't owned by a _Yonkou_, it didn't have effect on the log pose. Pirates saw the island as useless.

But after Sora had left the Whitebeard Pirates four years ago, her captain had claimed the island as his – the same way he protected Fishman Island – and no one dared to rouse up trouble anymore. It had become merely a place of vacation and a long deserved rest for pirates that stopped in.

Arashi Island inhabitants weren't hostile towards pirates anymore. At least, not the Whitebeard Pirates. Whitebeard's crew protected them, and in turn, they respected and admired Whitebeard, providing his ship with everything it needed, from rebuilding the ship, to stocking up on food. The Whitebeard Pirates were welcome here.

It did come with a price, however. Arashi Island's pride and joy – Sora – once a great and renowned pirate, was reduced to nothing more than a bartender who never step foot off dry land. She was good at pretending like it didn't bother her, like she didn't long for the sea. But everyone knew. What was more important – the island's safety, or their daughter's dreams?

"Oy, you awake?" Michio heard, and snapped back to reality, seeing Sora raising an eyebrow at him. "I asked if Aki and Haru are going to the carnival."

Michio nodded. "Yeah, we're going to take them tomorrow," he answered. "Did Kohaku want to come?"

"Yup. Ask Coral about taking Corinne, too, if that's okay. I think Kohaku likes that girl. I'm just helping out," Sora said with a laugh.

The older man smirked. "Well, that's sweet. Are you going to the carnival?" he asked, knowing the answer. Why did he even bother to ask?

Sora wiped down the table for a little, taking a sip from a mug of water. She tasted the liquid for a little as though water could taste like anything but water, and said, "Yes."

Eiichi and Michio glanced at each other. "Yes?"

"Yes."

"That's weird," Eiichi said bluntly. He opened his mouth to say something else, and then changed his mind, closing it and flicking his eyes at Michio as though communicating telepathically.

Sora shrugged as though she didn't care. "With Marco?" Michio asked, thinking of the only person that could even make a dent in Sora's ideal about not going to a carnival after you turn twenty.

"Nah," she replied vaguely, shrugging and shaking her head in all directions. She obviously didn't want to answer the question, but Eiichi and Michio already had a pretty good idea of whom she would be going with if it weren't Marco.

But again, the two men decided not to say anything, changing the subject. The party lasted way into the wee parts of the morning, even after Michio and Eiichi had escorted Kohaku out, and taken Akio and Haruo back home as well.

Sora manned the bar alone, delivering drinks and cleaning until the only people left were the Whitebeard Pirates that were staying with her – Whitebeard and the four division commanders. Whitebeard had retired to his room, his footsteps thundering up the stairs as he walked, leaving Sora cleaning up after the rest of the bar. Jozu, Thatch, Marco, and Ace were still sitting in Whitebeard's booth, talking.

"Oy, Belleville, stop working and have a drink with us," Thatch called over to the woman as she brought back empty glasses.

She wiped her forehead, shaking her head. "Nah, it's alright."

"Just one beer," Thatch continued, raising his glass.

"I don't know, man, one beer for Sora can be fatal," Marco teased, receiving an eye roll from Sora. "Stop working. There's no one here. Come sit with us."

Sora shook her head again. "If I'm not working then who's going to clean the bar?"

"Have Ace do it," Jozu said, slapping Ace on the back and laughing.

"He'll just break everything," Sora giggled.

"Oy, I did good today," Ace replied, making a face at her.

Sora just laughed, shrugging. "No really, though, stop working and sit with us. You haven't even hung out with us as a group since we got here," Thatch insisted, moving over to make room for Sora in the booth. Not that he needed to, as it was huge to accommodate Whitebeard.

Sora sighed, untying her apron and tossing it aside. "Fine, but you guys have to help me clean afterwards."

"Deal," the four commanders said together. Sora laughed and slid into the booth next to Thatch.

"So," Sora said, resting her face in her hands as she leaned against the table. "How have my boys been?"

Marco, Thatch, Jozu, and Ace began excitedly recalling their recent voyages at sea, and Sora listened with wide eyes and smiles just like the way Kohaku had when Ace had told the younger boy about his adventures on the _Moby Dick_. There was no comparison to the thrill of being a pirate – the people you meet, the friends you make, the food you eat, the feeling of the wind against your face as your ship cut through the ocean – it was ecstasy; it was infinite. Ace watched her face light up upon hearing their stories, and it made him really wonder why she gave up her position as the second division commander. Being on the _Moby Dick _gave her the privilege to be _experiencing _adventure, instead of just hearing about them.

"You should have seen Ace when he first came aboard," Thatch said, grinning at Sora. "What an angry fellow."

"Oh, really?" Sora raised her eyebrows at Ace, smiling.

Ace looked a little embarrassed, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. But Thatch kept talking. "Tried to kill _Oyaji_, what, a hundred times?"

"Probably more," Ace admitted, scratching his head.

Sora just laughed. "I see."

"He took a bit of convincing," Thatch went on. He grinned at Ace. "But aren't you glad you made the decision you did?"

Ace nodded. "The _Moby Dick _is my home and I have the greatest _nakama_ and captain ever," he said proudly, grinning at the other division commanders, who laughed heartily in return. Sora just smiled.

"You guys sound like you have a lot of fun," she commented, still smiling.

"Yeah, but it'd be much more fun if you were with us still," Jozu replied.

Sora shook her head, laughing. "I know," she said, smirking. "But then poor Ace would be out of a job."

"He would have been promoted to a division commander eventually," Marco shrugged.

"Nah, I don't think so. He's pretty weak, I mean, I think he'd just end up being my subordinate – he'd be the only second rate pirate under the second division commander." A chorus of 'oohs' rounded the tables, the other three men provoking Ace to respond to Sora's challenge.

Ace raised his eyebrows. "Weak? I'm pretty sure I can beat the crap out of you," Ace retorted, opening his arms jokingly as though starting a fight. Another round of 'oohs' as the division commanders laughed.

Sora just shrugged her shoulders, leaning back in the booth. "Guess we'll never know, huh?"

"Fight me, then," Ace offered.

"Oy, were you not there when I beat the shit out of Marco?" Sora said, receiving an eye roll from the first division commander. "I'll kill you with one finger. My pinky finger, even." She lifted the tiny finger to emphasize as the commanders continued to laugh.

Ace shook his head, laughing also. "Whatever, small boobs."

Sora made a face at the nickname. She turned to the men at the table. "Boys, do I have small boobs?" she asked, grabbing her chest.

"Ah, trick question," Thatch observed. Marco and Jozu turned their heads away as though the lines on the wood walls were suddenly quite interesting. "Can't answer yes, because that's not what she wants to hear, and can't answer no because then that'll prove we were looking at her boobs."

Sora rolled her eyes. "Oh, jeez, come on. I don't care, just answer honestly."

The three men just shook their heads, even Thatch becoming interested with the wall. Ace laughed, folding his arms on the table, smirking at Sora. "It's 'cause they agree."

Sora sighed. "Fine, whatever," she said, pretending to sound disappointed. The other three commanders took that as a cue that it was now safe to rejoin the conversation and turned back to Sora and Ace. She smiled at the division commanders. "I really…miss you guys, you know," she said.

It took all of them by surprise. Sora was weird, yes, but she was also known for her mental strength and ability to wear smiles when she didn't mean them. "I, uh, really like when you guys stop by. And I'm sorry I haven't really hung out with you until now."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Thatch said, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her in for a hug. "You know we miss you, too. We like coming here also and we know you're busy sometimes, so it's fine."

Sora grinned. "Thank you," she said, her voice laced with sincerity, causing all the boys to smile in return. Jozu, Marco, and Thatch, of course, knew that Sora did miss the sea, and although they did know that she missed them, too, it was nice to hear her say it. It was a privilege to be loved by this woman.

"We'll always be around," Marco told her.

"And we'll always come by every once in a while," Jozu said with a grin.

Sora smiled back. "Thanks, boys." She slid out of the booth and clapped her hands together. "Now how about helping me clean?"


	11. Chapter 11: First Date

Ace had made his way down the steps before lunchtime. He was surprised at how good it felt to wake up early. He felt like he could get much more done in the day, and didn't mind it so much now. He had been coming downstairs early to talk with Sora while she worked. They had lunch together yesterday – waking up early was definitely worth it.

Tonight, however, was their date. For the first time in his life, Ace was actually a little nervous. He had been on a couple dates before, but not any with women he actually cared about. And around Sora, Ace seemed to have developed a habit in which he would say something that upset her. But it wasn't like he could _not _talk to her while on a date – it would just be boring and there was no possible way he could get her to agree to another one. But then if he said something that made her angry, there was also no possible way to get her to agree to another one.

This morning, Ace expected to see the woman at the bar, filling drinks or grabbing food, but instead she was tossing off her apron as though finished with work. "Hey, where are you going?" Ace asked.

Sora looked up and smiled at Ace. "Good morning, studly. Sorry I can't chat today, I'm heading out with Marco."

Ace chewed on the inside of his bottom lip. When Sora went out with Marco, apparently they spent the whole day together. Tonight they were supposed to go to the wandering carnival that stopped by. Ace had spent most of yesterday being excited and nervous at the same time; this was a buzz kill. "Oh, I see."

Sora laughed, slapping his chest playfully. She seemed to hear the underlying tone in his voice. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about tonight. I'll try my best not to flake out," she teased.

Ace frowned, sighing. "Come on, Sora. We had a deal."

She waved him off. "Yeah, I'll be there. I just have something with Marco first."

"If you're going to the carnival with Marco now before coming with me tonight, I might kill myself," Ace told her.

Sora laughed. She moved past him, slinging a little bag over her shoulder. "I'm not, silly. Don't worry. You trust me, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then I'll see you tonight at seven, then." She held out her pinky. "I promise."

Ace linked his pinky with hers, creating the binding contract. He grinned at her, Sora's smile draining the doubt from his body. "Alright then. Have fun with Marco today, because we are going to have so much fun tonight that every other day of your life is going to be completely mediocre compared to our date."

Sora giggled. "We'll see about that, studly."

"Be excited," Ace called after her as she headed out of the bar. "It'll be fun!"

"Bye, Ace," Sora said back, waving as she pushed open the door.

Ace remembered all of this, continuing to have faith that Sora would pull through – that Kohaku would not be right about Sora ditching out on him. This was an actual, _real _date, not just a dinner, a _date_. Ace breathed in deeply. The sun had set and still, Sora was nowhere in sight. He had worn a watch for this purpose, and glanced at it.

7:18.

He exhaled exasperatedly, rubbing his eyes. She said seven, but she still wasn't here. The carnival was behind him, the acre of land brimming with music and laughter and chatter, and he was just standing outside the gate, waiting. He leaned against a streetlight, shutting his eyes. They had a deal, and she couldn't even keep that, how much more effort did he need to put into this to show her that—

"Hey, sorry I'm late," said a voice, and Ace opened his eyes to see Sora standing in front of him, slightly out of breath. She was dressed in a t-shirt and jacket, and her shorts, of course, and sneakers, a different outfit from what she had been wearing this morning. She coughed slightly, brushing the hair from her face. She started making motions with her hands as though this would help explain. "Things with Marco ran late today, and, yeah, I mean, it's no excuse, but—"

"It's okay," Ace interrupted, shaking his head. "I'm just glad you came."

Sora seemed to smile out of relief. "Okay, well, uh, let's get this over with because I hate the carnival."

Ace chuckled. "Remember that it's not going to be that easy. But before we go, I bought you this," he brought out something from behind his back. It was a block of cheese, still wrapped in plastic, of course, with a ribbon on it. Ace grinned at Sora's surprised expression. "I know you don't like flowers, but I remembered that you do like cheese."

The woman giggled, and to Ace's surprise, took the large block of cheese. "That was nice of you. Didn't know I had to buy you something."

"It's a replacement for flowers," Ace said, laughing. "The girl gets the flowers."

"Ah, then I probably should have bought some for you," Sora teased, sticking her tongue out at him as they headed through the gate.

"Oh, ha, ha," Ace replied sarcastically as Sora handed the man at the booth some money for the entry fee.

"Scripts or a wristband?" he asked.

Sora started to speak. "Um, I kinda—"

"Wristbands," Ace told the man, and before Sora could object, the cashier looped a wristband around Sora's arm and Ace grinned as he held his forward to have one around him as well.

The cashier waved them off. "Thank you, and enjoy."

"Unlimited rides," Ace told Sora, holding the bright red wristband into her face. Sora pushed his arm out of the way and sighed.

"Alright, well what do you want to do first?" she asked, glancing around. The carnival was bursting with color and flashing lights. She could see overhead a little sky rail like ride that went through the entire carnival on wire lines, a Ferris wheel in the distance, and several small rollercoasters. There were many game tents lined up on the main road, as well as food vendors. How these people managed to set up over night was completely beyond Sora's comprehension.

"You can choose," Ace told her, smiling.

"I'd choose to go home," Sora said, laughing as Ace rolled his eyes.

"Okay, fine. Let's ride something." He started towards the rumbling sound of the rollercoaster, Sora following by his side. He glanced down at her. "So, what'd you and Marco do today?"

Sora answered quickly and nonchalantly. "Have sex."

"Shut up."

Sora laughed, shaking her head as she slapped Ace's arm playfully. "Why does it matter what we did?"

"Why are you acting like it's a big deal? I don't really care, I was just asking. Starting conversation, I don't know," Ace replied, shrugging.

"We just had lunch and went shopping, and then hung out with Izou and Michio and stuff. Is it bad that I like to hang out with Marco every once in a while?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

"Yes, because your 'once in a while' is like, every other day. You should be spending more time with me."

Sora snorted. "Well, I've never been on a date with Marco, so that doesn't matter, does it?"

Ace grinned, slinging his arm around her. "Nope. I'm the best."

She giggled. "Oh, because you forced me to come some place I don't even like instead of having a normal dinner date."

"Normal is boring," Ace told her. "That's why you're so exciting. You're like the most abnormal person I've ever met."

"Oh, I'm flattered," she said sarcastically. They reached the line for the rollercoaster and Sora swore she felt her stomach drop just from looking at it. It was much taller than it seemed from the entrance, and had a straight drop before the car sped into a loop-de-loop and raced around winding tracks. Screams echoed loudly, even at the farthest point from Sora and she shook her head. "Yeah, no way."

Ace kept his arm around her as she tried to walk away. "Come on, small boobs! This looks awesome."

"Terrifying," she corrected.

"What are you, like ten years old? You're a pirate, Sora, you can't be afraid of heights."

"What does being a pirate have to do with being afraid of heights? Which, you know, I'm not afraid of," she stated, sticking her tongue out at Ace.

"We are fearless!" Ace yelled loudly. Other people in line turned their heads a little at the source of the noise and Sora giggled.

She swatted at his arm. "Stop it, you're making a scene."

"Pirates are fearless, and therefore, you, de Belleville Sora, the _Fuurin _and former second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates should not be afraid of a rollercoaster!" Ace continued as loud as he possibly could, causing people around them to chuckle to themselves also.

"Stop," Sora laughed, pushing him.

Ace put his face right in front of Sora's, and took a deep breath, screaming as loud as he could, "NEVEEEEEEEEEER!"

Sora winced from the volume, still smiling as she rubbed her ears. "Okay, fine, I'll go with you. You're such a little kid."

Ace put his arm around her again, grinning. "I'm not a little kid. I'm the best."

"Alright, well, keep telling yourself that, I guess," she teased, crossing her arms over her chest. Being next to him like this wasn't as bad as Sora thought. She thought it might be awkward – they were going on a real date – and Sora was the least intimate person she knew. But with Ace, it was…comfortable. Not so much _intimate_ than it felt _right_. The way the curve of his arm fit around her body and matched her height perfectly so that neither of them looked awkward, the feel of his body heat – it didn't make Sora feel awkward. It made Sora feel at home.

She squeezed her eyes a little and exhaled. She needed to stop thinking like this; she needed to not let him overrun her thoughts. With Marco today, all she could think about was Ace and their date tonight. Sora hadn't been on a date in so long, she had been afraid that she forgot how to be on one. And then she would shake the thought from her head, saying that it was only Ace. And then those thoughts would creep back in _because _it was Ace. He was different than other men she knew. He was genuine and he was real in exactly the way she needed.

Ace lifted his wrist and Sora's also, showing the ticket man, who just nodded and allowed them to get onto the car. Sora handed the man her cheese to hold. "First one," Ace told Sora, leading her towards the front of the car.

"Oh, no way! Back!" Sora tried to pull Ace in the other direction, but he wasn't even fazed by her movement, continuing towards the front. "Ace, no!"

Ace made an over exaggerated angry face at her, stretching his mouth out as wide as he could to show his teeth and creasing his brow inward so that his eyes were little tiny slits. "Stop being stubborn," he said through gritted teeth, making Sora laugh. Ace took that opportunity to gently push her into the cart and pull the bars over both of them. Sora tried to push them back up, but they had already clicked into place.

"I'm going to throw up," Sora told him.

"Turn that way," Ace replied, gesturing to the opposite direction of himself, grinning.

"Oh, no, I'm going to turn straight at you, and it'll be projectile." Sora made the hand motion as though vomit were indeed flying from her mouth, and Ace laughed.

"I'll catch all of it and shove it back down your throat."

Sora made a face. "Gross." There was a jerk and the car started moving, clicking loudly against the tracks. Ace laughed as Sora shrank into her seat, gripping the bars around her so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

"Small boobs, don't worry," Ace said, grinning at her. They shifted direction and were now headed upward.

"Don't worry? I'm going to die," Sora whimpered, making a face at Ace. To Sora's surprise, Ace took her hand in his own. He didn't lace their fingers together, he just held her hand, and then smiled at her.

"I'm right here," he assured her, squeezing her hand. He faced forward again – fortunately, for Sora, as she felt color tinting her cheeks – and then shouted, "Well get ready and scream really loud 'cause here it comes!"

Sora didn't even have time to reply as the car dropped straight down and she screamed, squeezing Ace's hand so hard she spent a total of one second worrying about whether or not she was going to shatter his bones, before her mind raced back to the present and the loop-de-loop. Her world spun upside down and she continued to scream, even hearing Ace laughing and whooping beside her, not at all fazed by the strength she was using to squeeze his hand to death. Because they were in the front, Sora could see everything coming, but it didn't make a difference – the world was still a messy blur and the only thing she could feel was the car throwing her body around, the wind crashing into her face and blowing her hair back. She could barely hear Ace laughing over the loud rumbling of the car on the tracks, but she tried her best to focus on his voice to distract her from the rollercoaster.

The car whizzed around a corner, and Ace noticed that Sora's screaming had stopped. But when he turned to look at her, she was chanting, "Oh, my God," really fast and was pressed against the back of her seat, frozen staring straight in front her. They dropped a little again and Sora let out a little squeal, shutting her eyes as they ripped around another corner. Ace couldn't help but laugh, grinning as they flew through another small loop. There was a sudden jerk and the car slowed down, signaling the end of the ride.

Sora was breathing heavily, her eyes wide and she looked horrified, needing to take deep breaths. The bars raised and Ace helped Sora out of the car, letting go of her hand and putting his arm around her again. "You okay, small boobs?" he asked, leaning his cheek against the top of her head.

"No more rollercoasters," Sora told him, shaking her head vigorously. She retrieved her block of cheese before heading down the steps with Ace.

Ace chuckled. "Okay, fine. We can play games and eat. Can we go on the Ferris wheel later?"

"Maybe later," Sora said, exhaling deeply. "I am not a big fan of rides."

"Weird because, I mean, you like to fly, and you did ride on a ship for like, three years," Ace teased.

"That's different."

"How?"

"It just is," Sora whined, making a face at Ace.

"Ah, you're so cute. Let's go play games," Ace said, moving ahead of her towards one of the tents. He stopped and turned back, holding his hand out. "Is it okay if we hold hands or no? I mean, we are on a date."

Sora put her hand behind her back and grinned sheepishly, shaking her head. Ace just smiled. "Okay, that's fine. How about this one?" He stopped in front of a hammer game, where the player would have to swing a large hammer and try to ring a bell at the top of a bar. Nearby were little stuffed animal prizes for winners.

Sora laughed. "Doubt you'll be able to ring that bell."

"Uh, I would destroy this game," Ace bragged, brushing imaginary dirt off his shoulder. Sora giggled as she paid the ticket man, who handed Ace a hammer.

Ace grabbed the hammer and immediately felt his strength drain from his arms. The hammer dropped to the dirt with a loud thud. "What the hell?" Ace mumbled, mustering all his strength to lift a thirty-pound hammer off the ground.

"Ah, a devil fruit user," the ticket man said, smiling at Ace. "The hammer is made of _kairoseki _to ensure that devil fruit users such as your self do not leave our carnival in ruins."

Sora giggled, having already known this. The stone in which the hammer was made of was _kairoseki_, sea stone that contained the essence of the ocean, and weakened those with devil fruit powers. _Kairoseki _handcuffs were a useful tool to the Marines allowing the weakening and suppression of devil fruit users who could otherwise have no trouble fleeing or defeating them. "Well, go ahead and ring that bell if you think you can, studly," Sora teased.

"Gladly," Ace grunted, having a little trouble lifting the mallet. He brought it over his head and then used his weight to bring the hammer down onto the switch, with a loud thump and the bell shot up, reaching a little over half before plummeting down sadly. "Seriously?" he breathed, running a hand through his hair.

Sora laughed. "Aw, I guess I'm going to go home sad and stuffed-animal-less."

Ace picked up the hammer again with a new determination. "Don't worry, small boobs. Daddy's gonna win you a prize."

Sora rolled her eyes at that, but just laughed again as Ace tried to ring the bell. It got closer this time, reaching right below the three-quarters mark. "Damn," he said, shaking his head. "I'd rather be handcuffed. Okay, one more time," he told Sora, and swung the hammer as hard as he possibly could as though his life depended on it. The meter flew up, hitting the bell with a quiet _ding_ before dropping down again. He pumped his fist victoriously. He turned to the ticket man. "That totally counts!"

He chuckled and nodded. "Okay, well choose a prize," he said, waving over to his selection of stuffed animals. Ace grinned at Sora, picking out a fluffy white dog and handing it to the woman. She smiled from ear to ear as she took it.

"Thank you," she told Ace. "Even though technically, I paid for it."

"You're welcome," Ace replied, ignoring her last comment. "What now?"

"How about the dunking booth?" Sora asked, gesturing to the attraction nearby. There were a few people surrounding it, laughing and chatting as someone tried to drop their friend into a pool of water.

Ace scoffed. "As in, _you're _going to play? I don't think you will even be able to throw within a mile of that little button," he teased.

Sora's jaw pretended to drop. "Alright, let's go then," she said, pulling Ace to the game. When it was their turn, Sora paid the ticket woman as Ace stepped out of his docksides and climbed onto the platform. He tossed his shirt onto Sora's head, the material covering her face. When she pulled it off, Ace was holding his hands out confidently, smirking at her.

"Come on, small boobs." He beckoned at her with both hands. "Bring it."

Sora laughed, shaking her head as she tossed a baseball in her hand. Just for the game, she had to wear a beaded necklace made of _kairoseki _to cancel out her devil fruit powers, but it only weakened her slightly. It's main purpose was probably to null the her powers, rather than to undermine her strength. She stood behind a line. "How many tries do I get?" she asked Ace.

"I don't know, like, five? I doubt you'll be able to hit me even if you had a hundred," Ace mocked arrogantly, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

Sora whipped the first ball at the button, but missed by a good foot, causing Ace to laugh obnoxiously. Sora giggled. "Shut up." She threw the second ball, the baseball slamming against the wall with a dull thud and falling to the earth, Ace still laughing.

"Oy, I think I should let you pay for the hundred baseballs," he teased.

She threw her third baseball, grazing the silver button this time, but Ace didn't drop into the pool below. He swung his legs, his feet dangling about a meter above the water. "Two more, small boobs, then daddy's gonna have to teach you how to not throw like a girl."

"I hate you," Sora laughed, throwing her fourth ball and missing completely again. She tossed the last ball in the air a few times, taking a deep breath as though playing a championship game. She wound up and then threw it, hitting right above the button. Ace threw both fists in the air, cheering.

"It's okay, small boobs," he told her, not moving from the platform as Sora pulled off the necklace. "Maybe some other time."

Sora smirked at Ace and flicked her finger, sending a tiny ball of wind hurtling towards the button, strong enough to just press it inwards. Ace dropped into the pool with a huge splash, getting Sora a little wet as she laughed. He resurfaced, making a face at her. "That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair," Sora laughed as Ace pulled himself out of the water. The ticket woman handed him a towel and Ace wiped the water from his face, pushing Sora playfully as the woman giggled, holding onto his shirt. Ace gave the towel back to the woman and caught up with Sora. He put his arm around her again, not bothering to take his shirt back yet, as it would probably just get wet from the water droplets from his hair and his drenched shorts.

"I'm not winning you any more prizes," Ace told her, sticking his tongue out.

Sora feigned disappointment and sighed sadly. "Oh, well, then I guess it'll just be a sad day for me. So much for that awesome date you promised me," she said quietly, averting her eyes as though depressed.

"Oh, stop," Ace said, ruffling her hair. Sora laughed. "Fine, if you insist, daddy will win you more prizes."

"You've got to stop calling yourself that," she said as Ace leaded her under the row of tents, browsing the games. Ace just shrugged playfully, watching Sora scan through the different prize. He saw her eyes linger on a rather cute stuffed octopus and stopped, back stepping to the game. It was the game where the players competed against each other in a race by rolling balls into holes that made a dolphin swim depending on what number the ball rolled into.

They played numerous other games, Ace winning so many prizes for Sora that they needed to ask for a few bags to carry everything. He was rather proud, enjoying the smile that flashed across her face whenever he handed her a new prize. It was a simple gesture, but _because _it was such a small thing that made Sora smile, Ace couldn't help but find it unbearably cute.

Sora teased Ace before playing the games, but after he won prizes, she cheered and accepted whatever animal he chose for her excitedly. Despite saying that she hated the carnival, Sora seemed to be enjoying herself, and to put it simply, that made Ace happy. They didn't even really need to be on a date – if she could be happy like this on anything they did together, Ace was satisfied.

Although the fact that it was a date made it even better.

Sora handed Ace a stick of cotton candy. She had slipped away while he was playing a game and bought them both giant fluffs of sugar. "You totally read my mind!" He smiled at her, exchanging a rather large giraffe doll for the candy, and took a giant bite out of it. Sora peeled hers off nicely, plopping the sugar into her mouth happily. "Ready to go on the Ferris wheel?"

Sora nodded, letting Ace's arm go around her again. She tried to ignore the fact that her hand itched to be enveloped in his. "Thanks for all the prizes," she said, lifting her giant bag of stuffed animals.

Ace laughed, shrugging. "Yeah, I told you it was gonna be awesome."

"And the cheese."

"And the cheese," Ace said, smiling. They stood in line for the Ferris wheel. The sun had set a long, long time ago, and it was dark now, stars faded in comparison to the bright lights of the carnival. Ace had pulled his shirt back on now that his clothes and hair had dried. He had to admit that he was a little tired, though. Some of those games consisted of _kairoseki_ equipment and meant he had to exert more strength than usual.

He looked down at the woman carefully peeling pink pieces of candy from a stick she could easy bite from, and smiled. It was worth it.

The flashed their wristbands and hopped into a car, just the two of them. Sora sat opposite of Ace, finishing of her cotton candy. Ace had devoured his some time ago. The woman seemed to glow in the dim light of the moon and the flashing lights below as the Ferris wheel began to rotate, lifting them into the air. Sora leaned her elbow against the window, turning her face so that she could get a nice view of the island. A small smile curled on her lips.

"You look really pretty," Ace blurted before he could stop himself.

Sora seemed surprised by his comment, turning to face him and blinking several times. Ace was going to apologize for being forward, but Sora just smiled kindly. "You look really nice, too."

Ace decided to play confident for a little longer, scoffing and shrugging as though her compliment were not a big deal. "When do I not look awesome?" Sora giggled, shaking her head. Ace's voice quieted. "Can I ask why you don't like carnivals?"

"I thought you'd ask that eventually," she sighed, smiling at Ace. "Yes."

Ace grinned back at her. "Alright, then. Why do you not like carnivals?"

"It's going to sound sad and pathetic and stuff, but I don't know, I feel like this is someplace where there are no worries. And I can't allow myself to feel that way. I have so many things to do and to take care of, even if it doesn't seem like it. Every day is a burden and coming here…it makes me forget. I can't afford to forget about why I'm alive – why I exist," she said, tasting the words as though this was the first time that she herself was saying them.

Ace just nodded, silent. What could he possibly say to that?

"But," she started again and Ace looked up, catching her gaze. Once again he was drowning in the blues of her eyes, illuminating like the stars. "Thank you for bringing me. It was…nice, I guess, to forget, even if just for a little while."

"I'm glad," Ace said, reaching over to take her hand again. Sora felt a warm feeling in her chest, as both of his hands grabbed hers, his thumb rubbing against her knuckles. Sora felt herself shy away a little as blush tinted her cheeks and Ace grinned. "You know, you're super cute when you actually act like a girl."

"Shut up," she said, still looking away as she took back one of her hands to run it through her hair. "Well, you're never cute. Marco is way cuter."

"Ouch," Ace laughed, knowing that she was joking. He moved so that he was now sitting next to her. He put one arm around her and kept the other hand holding hers. To his surprise, she actually leaned against him. "But you're not out with him tonight, are you?"

Sora shrugged. "I could be."

"But you're with me."

"Because we had a deal."

"Oh, come on, you know if we didn't have a deal you'd still be here with me."

Sora laughed, shaking her head. "No dice."

"That hurts me," Ace said, bringing both his hand and her own to his heart and pounding on his chest, making the woman laugh some more. Ace enjoyed the sound of her laughter, tinkling like wind chimes. He was glad that half the time they were together, she was laughing.

They sat together for the remainder of the ride, but when the car came to a stop, Sora gently took her hand back, but left Ace's arm around her as they left. He carried some of her bags while she held her block of cheese protectively. "Ready to call it a night?" Ace asked, noticing some booths starting to close.

Sora nodded and they left the carnival, flashing lights fading behind them. The streets were quiet, as it was already quite late. But surroundings didn't really seem to have any effect on Ace and Sora.

"I like this one the best," Sora said, pulling out the giraffe Ace had given her.

"Giraffe? That's lame. What about the dog?" he said, pointing at the little fluffy white dog at the bottom of the bag.

"Dogs are cute, but everyone likes dogs. I like octopi," she said, pulling out the other pink octopus. It actually only had six legs, and its eyes consisted of little dots while its mouth was a red "U". It smiled happily as though glad to have been chosen by Sora.

"You just said giraffe."

"I like octopi, too."

"What about snakes?" Ace asked, wrapping a stuffed serpent around Sora's shoulders. He wiggled its head, the forked tongue grazing Sora's cheek.

"Oh, yeah, snakes, too!"

"And bears!" Ace pulled out the giant blue bear he had won and placed it tummy-down on Sora's head.

"Bears are cute."

"And monkeys!" The younger man also brought out the monkey from the bag, its magnetic hands and legs clamping around her waist. Sora giggled, already seeing what he was doing. "And penguins! And unicorns! And lady bugs! And pandas!" With each animal he brought out the respective doll and stuffed it somewhere on Sora's body, in her arms or on top of the bear that was already on her head until all ten of the animals that Ace had won were out of the bag, burying Sora.

The woman tried her hardest not to laugh before all the stuffed animals fell to the ground and got dirty. "Ace," she said, giggling. "Ace, take them off!"

"Take what off?" Ace asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Sora couldn't slap him because then that would mean she would drop her precious animals.

"My dolls, please," Sora clarified, rolling her eyes.

"Please, what?" Ace asked, putting a hand to his ear.

Sora snorted. "Just please."

"You know what I want to hear."

"Ace!"

"And you can't cock tease me this time because your stuffed animals will plummet to their deaths."

"But, I—" Sora started, but Ace just crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. Sora groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fine, please. Daddy."

Ace threw both fists up in the air and marching around her in a circle. "That's RIIIIIIIIGHT!" he screamed in her face, making the woman laugh again.

"Ace, shut up, people are sleeping!"

"But…everyone should know that I'm your daddy," Ace reasoned, furrowing his brows as though this were a dilemma.

"Ace," Sora laughed, making a face at him. "Help, please."

"Oh, I was so distracted by your confirmation of being your daddy that I forgot," Ace teased, lifting the stuffed animals off her and placing them back into their bags. He put his arm around her again as the two of them began walking back to the bar. They were closer now, seeing the dim glow of the sign not too far away.

"Never again," Sora told him, rolling her eyes. "Never calling you that again."

"Say what you want now, de Belleville," Ace teased. He pushed open the door to the bar, surprised to see Marco and Thatch still awake. They were sipping from beer at the counter and turned when Ace and Sora came in. "Hey," Ace greeted with a grin. He expected Sora to squirm out from under his arm the way that she had when she had come in with Marco that time they came back together late, but she didn't.

"Hi, boys. What're you doing still up?" she asked with a smile.

"Making sure that our Sora is okay," Thatch teased, winking at her. "Had fun?"

"Ugh, no, it was terrible," she joked, receiving an eye roll from Ace. "I mean, I paid for like, _everything_. All these dolls? Yeah, I pretty much bought them."

"Oy, shut up," Ace said, pulling her into his arms and crushing her in an embrace as she giggled and tried to escape. He lifted her over his shoulder, and leaned backwards a bit to pick up the bags she dropped. "She's delusional. We had a great time. But now we're going to bed to _end_ our date the right way," he added with a joking wink, receiving a punch in the back from Sora.

"Close up after you're done!" Sora called behind her, still laughing as Ace trudged up the stairs. She tried to grab onto the railings to stop him, but Ace just kept moving, not fazed at all. Marco and Thatch heard her laughter and squeals disappear up the steps.

Thatch had a crush on Sora for some time, but he knew that it wasn't as bad as Marco's feelings for Sora. He could tell just by looking at the man that it was a little painful to see her with someone else – again. But Marco, of course, was classy and respectful and would never dare say anything to Ace or Sora. As long as she was happy, then Marco didn't have a problem.

Ace kicked the door closed behind him, letting Sora down. He spun her around and pinned her to the door, the woman needing to blink several times to recover. Ace's body was close to hers, and she felt her breathing slow as he brushed hair from her face. "I'm going to sleep soon. I'm pretty tired," he said as though discussing the weather. His voice was low and velvety, sending shivers rippling Sora's body. "All that sea stone today was pretty draining."

"Oh, well, um, you should go to sleep then," Sora said, trying to press herself into the door as though hoping she would pass right through it and escape Ace's intoxicating energy. She lifted a thumb and tried to point outside. "I'm gonna go shower."

"I think I should get a good night kiss," Ace told her, smiling.

Sora pursed her lips together, a smile curling them upward a little. She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, almost making Ace falter. "Oh yeah?"

"I did good tonight. I should get a kiss."

Sora laughed, and said, "Okay."

Ace's eyes narrowed a bit, suspicious. "Really?"

The woman's arms wrapped around his neck and loosened a little, falling so that her hands were on his neck and face, her thumbs resting on his cheeks. Slowly, _ever so slowly_, she brought his face closer to hers. Ace hoped she couldn't hear his heartbeat, exploding rapidly in his chest as the distance between them closed. He moved a hand to cup her face, tilting her head upward to match his height. Then at the last second, she scrunched her face together, smiling as she rubbed her nose against his before ducking under his arm and skipping to her vanity. She began bordering her new stuffed animals around the mirror, and also placed some on her bed.

"What…what just happened?" Ace breathed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as Sora laughed.

"Eskimo kiss," Sora said, pulling clothes out of her vanity.

Ace sighed. "But we're pirates."

"I'm an Eskimo."

"No, you're not."

"We just kissed like Eskimos, so you're an Eskimo, too," she said, ignoring Ace while grinning at him at the same time.

"You make me so tired," Ace said, trudging over to his bed and flopping down onto it face first. She giggled, a cold hand ruffling his hair. Ace mumbled something into the mattress, stretching out his syllables.

"What was that?" Sora asked as she placed a hand on the doorknob.

"Why won't you just kiss meeeeeeeee?" Ace groaned, rolling over and making a face at her.

Sora laughed. "I'm not that easy, studly."

"But it's just a kiss."

The woman shook her head. "We both know it's more than that."

Ace groaned again, rolling over so that his back was facing her. She was right. No matter how badly Ace wanted to kiss her, he knew that if they kissed, something was going to happen. What if it wasn't all sparks and magic like he expected? What if it was? She meant something to him and if they kissed now, without him barely knowing a thing about her, what would that mean? Damn her for being right.

But at the same time, Ace _really _wanted to kiss her. Damn her again for not letting him.

Sora looked down at the doorknob for a moment. "Thanks, again, for tonight, Ace," she said, her voice becoming kinder. "I really…had a lot of fun."

Ace rolled to face her, flashing her a grin. "Glad you enjoyed yourself. I had a lot of fun, too. We should, ah, do it again sometime."

She turned to him and smiled a little, nodding slightly. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be cool."

"As a date," Ace clarified, not sure he was hearing right.

Sora's nod was small, but Ace saw it. She seemed to be contemplating the idea. "Maybe."

Ace pumped his fist triumphantly. He was fairly certain he could turn that 'maybe' into a 'yes'. "Awesome."

The woman laughed. "Okay, well, I'm going to go shower."

"I'm going to black out."

Sora smiled as she pulled open the door. "Good night, Ace."


	12. Chapter 12: Hiken VS Fuurin

**A/N: I was bored one night and did a few fast sketches of some of the OCs in _Blue Skies _(Sora, Ken, and Kohaku). You can find the link here.**

**Also, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading, thanks for looking!**

* * *

_"Again?" Takamune Kenjiro asked, chuckling. He hooked some of his silver hair out of his face and behind his ear. It was long now, almost to his waist, so he kept most of it tied. Some strands got out though. Sora thought it was cute. He took a sip from his orange juice, resting his face in his palm and gazing at Sora through bright green eyes._

_ "Agaaaaaain," Sora groaned, making a face at the man as she stood behind the bar._

_ "I'm just going to beat you," he teased. "Then the score will be 267 me, zero you."_

_ "Or it'll be 266 you, and one for me," Sora said, sticking her tongue out at Ken. "We haven't fought in like, seven years. Those points are all from when we were kids! And that's weird that you're even keeping track!"_

_ "Don't act like you haven't been, princess," Ken replied, using the nickname she hated the most._

_ Sora poked his forehead. "Let's go now!"_

_ "I'm tired," Ken sighed, dropping to the table and making extremely loud snoring sounds. Sora giggled, pushing him._

_ "Ken, come on," Sora said, pulling his long hair. "I've been practicing."_

_ "Oh, you have?" he asked, suddenly interested. He sat up, raising his eyebrows at her. "So, does being a pirate suddenly also make you a great swordsman?" he teased, receiving a playful shove from Sora._

_ "No, but it does help," she stated as a matter of fact, crossing her arms over her chest. "You will be impressed."_

_ "There's no need to impress me. You know I love you, Sora." Sora felt her chest tighten with the words and she smiled involuntarily, dimples creasing her delicate face. _

_ But of course, she replied, "Sucks for you because I hate you."_

_ Ken chuckled, shaking his head. He stood up. "If I beat you again today, you have to admit you love me."_

_ "If I win?"_

_ Ken shrugged, not really seeming to care. It was as though he already expected to win and didn't feel the need to offer Sora anything in exchange. "Whatever you want, princess."_

_ "If I win, then you have to stop calling me 'princess'," she said, tossing off her apron and moving around the bar so she was standing directly in front of Ken._

_ "Fine. Grab your sword and I'll meet you at the usual place. Bring Marco or something – there needs to be a witness for when I beat you again."_

_ Sora scoffed. "Whatever, old man."_

_ "Oy. I'm not old."_

_ "You have white hair."_

_ "It's white blonde."_

_ "White."_

_ "I take back my 'I love you'."_

_ Sora giggled, the smile reaching her eyes again. Ken smiled gently at the woman. So entirely, so completely, Sora was everything he could ever ask for in life. "I'll meet you there. I'll bring Thatch and Marco and Vista and Jozu."_

_ "Ah, a pirate party," Ken teased, already heading for the door. "Five minutes."_

_ "I can be there in two," Sora shot back, galloping up the stairs excitedly, her footsteps sounding like a raging stampede. She pounded on the door and screamed for her fellow crewmates, and Ken just chuckled, leaving the Sky Pub._

_ Perhaps it would have seemed odd to people – a Marine making nice with pirates – but status never really mattered to Ken. Everyone was a child of sea. If they flew a black flag, then they were a pirate; and if they flew a white one, then they were a marine. What did flags even matter? As far as Ken knew, the Whitebeard Pirates were a swell group of men; they took care of Sora. That was all that mattered._

_ Of course, if the World Government knew that the _Meitou_ of the Marines associated himself with pirates without trying to arrest them during his free time, that might be a problem. But Arashi Island was home – Sora was home – and he couldn't _not_ come home. He had every right to be here, no matter who was here as well. If the townspeople cared, then maybe Ken would care, but no one did, so it didn't matter. Nothing really mattered to Ken except for Sora._

_ The life she had chosen – Ken didn't have a problem with it. Sora had never been the kind of woman to hurt people without a purpose, so if there were people that Sora had killed or injured, Ken understood that it was within reason. He doubted that number was very high anyway. And even if it wasn't, he didn't care. He never condescended her for who she was and in return, she treated him the same way. He chose the life of a marine and she chose to be a pirate. Why discriminate based on the flag someone rose on their ship? Sora was still the girl he grew up with, and the woman he loved now. The tattoo on her arm and the ship she rode on didn't change that._

_ "Ready to go, old man?" called a voice from behind and Ken turned to see Sora running up the hill to meet him, her sword in hand. It was Ken's first sword, the one he had used for training and the one he gave to her while he trained her. It was a standard sized katana, with a bright red sheath and a golden hilt, the handle wrapped in purple. Several division commanders from Whitebeard's crew followed behind her._

_ "Oh, that's cute," Ken said, smiling at her. "You still use the sword I gave you?"_

_ Sora glanced at it and shrugged. "Of course. Why would I not use it?"_

_ "I don't know, because it's an old sword."_

_ "That doesn't matter," Sora told Ken, shrugging. "What matters is the swordsman. And I am a damn awesome swordsman," she said with a wink, causing Ken to roll his eyes._

_ "Hey," Ken said, greeting the other men. They were Sora's main companions. Sora was eighteen – the youngest division commander on Whitebeard's Crew by far, but Ken knew that there was no way she would have been promoted to a position on a ship as strong as Whitebeard's without a reason. Ken knew she was strong, especially for her age._

_ At twenty-three, Ken also had an impressive repertoire – he had gained the title of _Meitou_ of the Marines shortly after joining when he was sixteen. Dracule Mihawk had even acknowledged him – and that was an honor. Currently, he was ranked as a _Junshou_ – a commodore – and he probably figured that that was enough for now. He was in no way even near ready to be promoted further. He felt like a part of it was because he was so inexperienced as a marine. The other part, however, was due to the fact that he did, occasionally, enjoy a cold glass of beer with some of the most dangerous pirates in the world at his own bar. Well, technically, it was his bar. A friend normally ran the Sky Pub when he was away. _

_ "Going to beat our second division commander again?" Marco teased, receiving a look from Sora. He had never seem them fight but heard a lot from Ken about how they used to spar when they were kids._

_ Ken shrugged nonchalantly. "She's asking for it. If I must deliver my princess another humiliating defeat, then so be it," he said, sticking his tongue out at her. Sora slapped his shoulder playfully. "I can just use the flat side of my sword, and just slap her with it." Ken made a slapping motion at Sora's face._

_ The other division commanders laughed heartily as Sora rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Ken."_

_ The older man unsheathed his blade – his own _meitou_ – taking a stance as the other division commanders stepped back. "You ready to impress me, princess?"_

_ "Stop calling me that," Sora groaned, tying her sword to her waist. She placed a hand over the handle and also took a stance, fingers tingling as she prepared to draw. As though feeling a simultaneous pulse, Ken and Sora shot forward at the same time, Ken striking from overhead and Sora ripping out her blade from is sheath and guarding from below. Gold sparks flew as the metal ground against each other, Sora and Ken pushing all their strength into their blades._

_ And then they leapt back together, unable to budge the other. Ken smiled. "I'm surprised that old sword didn't break."_

_ "It's about the swordsman," Sora repeated, smirking. The division commanders recognized that mischievous look. It was the same as the one on her wanted poster – the overly confident side of the woman. It was a rare look but it was what made Sora so deadly in battle. Her confidence was overwhelming and because she had such a powerful _haki_, she crushed opponents before the real fight even started. It was all a mind game._

_ However, Ken seemed immune, taking a breath and tilting his head from side to side, rolling his shoulder blades back. "Sorry, but I feel like making it quick today. I have to go get ready for my date tonight." He widened his eyes and nodded as though remembering something. "Oh, wait, yeah, I think you'd know her! She's this weird girl that hates flowers but has some really odd love for cheese. She eats cheese with like, everything."_

_ Sora rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Ken."_

_ Ken grinned, the freckles on his face rising with his cheeks. "If I win, let's eat ramen tonight."_

_ "We eat ramen every night," Sora sighed._

_ "One more night wouldn't hurt," Ken said with a smile. He didn't have time to say anymore because Sora charged him, swirling around, lashing her blade out, but Ken was faster and easily blocked her blow, pushing her back. "At least let me finish talking, princess."_

_ Sora didn't respond and rushed forward again, feinting a slash but pulling back stabbing inward, only to have Ken hop backwards out of the way, deflecting her next strike with a flick of his wrist. This time, Sora was caught of guard with Ken's flurry of quick but strong parries, coming in at her from all directions. She was blown backwards, hitting the ground. Ken rushed her, but Sora whipped out her leg in a sweep, causing Ken to leap up, and Sora thrust her sword in he air, only to have it deflected by Ken again, the man landing safely on two feet._

_ "I thought you said you got better?" Ken teased._

_ "I hate you."_

_ "No, you don't."_

_ "I do."_

_ "Lies."_

_ Sora ripped forward, pulling her arm back for a slash, and Ken lifted his own arm to guard against it. However, he found himself knocked backwards, skidding against the grass. He pulled himself off the ground, dusting off his sleeve, which was now stained green. He was going to ask Sora what the hell that was, but then he remembered that she was cursed with the devil fruit. _

_ "Did you hit me with your wind?" Ken asked, grinning. "You cheating cheater."_

_ Sora made a face at Ken and then shrugged. "Not my fault that you don't have a fruit."_

_ "You're not a swordsman, then. You're just a cheater."_

_ The other division commanders just laughed. Ken's teasing always riled Sora up, and she charged him again, swinging wildly. Ken deflected easily, back stepping and choosing to defend rather than to counter. Gold sparks flew with each harsh contact, Sora propelling her hands with gusts of wind. But despite this, Ken was still able to block with no problem._

_ "Sorry, princess," he said, lowered his defense for one second and slashed at Sora's waist. She barely had time to block and was sent flying backwards due to sheer force. Unable to regain balance, Ken rushed her, pinning her to the earth. He locked both her hands above her head, perched on her stomach._

_ The woman huffed, looking away. 267 losses._

_ The older man just grinned, some of his hair falling loose. "Okay, princess, now you have to tell me you love me."_

_ Sora narrowed her eyes, but the corners of her lips were trying not to curl into a smile. "Never."_

_ "That was a part of the deal."_

_ "I wanted to win," Sora sighed._

_ "I noticed your new tricks," Ken told her and Sora blinked several times as though not thinking Ken would see. "Your wind propulsion. I am impressed."_

_ Despite the fact that she had lost quite horribly and was now pinned to the dirt, Sora grinned happily, like his acknowledgement was all she ever wanted in the first place. "Thanks."_

_ "Still not as good as me," Ken added with a smile._

_ "I'll surpass you one day, Ken."_

_ Ken leaned down and kissed her nose, the girl scrunching her face girlishly. "Yes, I know. But until that day comes, Sora, let me cover for you."_

_ Sora smiled gently. "Okay." She paused, and bit her lip, smiling at the silver haired man. "I love you."_

"I am psychic," said a voice and Sora turned to see Ace standing at the base of the stairs again.

"Oh, really?" Sora replied, placing down a glass she had been wiping.

Ace moved closer to her, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning. "Yes. I totally know what you're thinking about, all day, everyday."

Sora laughed, shaking her head. "Really? What am I thinking about, then?"

"Me, duh," Ace answered, causing Sora to laugh. He hopped into a barstool, spinning around several times before stopping to face her. "Small boobs, stop working."

"I can't not work." Sora felt like she had told Ace this a thousand times. But the stubborn man just would not listen. She felt bad always leaving Eiichi with the bar.

"Yes, you can."

"And what would I do instead of work?" Sora asked. "I don't want to go on a hike and Kohaku's present is still in the works. Got no excuse today, studly. Sorry."

"I have one more excuse," Ace admitted, grinning. Sora couldn't help but notice his freckles whenever he smiled. She always needed a few seconds to remember that Ken wasn't standing in front of her; it was a different man. Why, of all people, did the man in front of her need to be Ace? These past few days, it had been impossible to think straight; Ace wasn't completely wrong when he had guessed her thoughts.

But she needed to ignore it. She didn't have time to envelop herself in any kind of fantasyland. There were things that needed to be done – people she needed to protect. If she let her guard down for one second…no. Sora would never let her guard down. "What would that be?"

"Let's spar."

Sora snorted, her head tilting back a little as though this were a particularly funny joke. "I can tell you the result of that right now."

"Me as the victor? I know," Ace replied, grinning. "Come on, small boobs. Let's have a round – the two second division commanders dukin' it out! See which one of us is more suited for the job."

Sora laughed. "Oh, please. It won't even be a competition. We both know I'm going to crush you."

"Wanna bet?" Ace challenged, smirking.

"I'm just going to beat you, Ace."

"If I win, you take me on a second date," Ace said, ignoring her. "If you win, I take you on a second date."

The woman giggled, shaking her head. "No dice."

"Okay, what do you want to wager, then?"

"You stop calling me small boobs," Sora said.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's all?"

Sora shrugged. "I'd feel bad if I put some kind of grand prize for myself. I'm choosing to be humble and taking small winnings so your morale won't be destroyed after I slap your face with my fists."

Ace laughed, holding his pinky out. "Fine. Let's do it now."

Sora put her elbow on the table, linking her finger with his. It was impossible for her to turn down a challenge. "You're on, bitch."

"Are you leaving me again?" Eiichi asked, returning to behind the bar to see Ace and Sora with their pinkies intertwined. Sora grinned sheepishly and Eiichi just rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. I've always taken care of this place anyway."

"Forever, we shall be together," Sora told Eiichi, pulling off her apron. She rounded the corner, following Ace out.

Eiichi sighed. He didn't mind always taking care of the Sky Pub. His family and Ken's had run it for years. While Ken had been away, Eiichi worked. While Sora had been away, Eiichi worked. He figured he'd be stuck with the job for the rest of his life.

But seeing that woman smile – Sora was his childhood friend. He, Ken, and Sora had grown up together. They were a few years apart, yes, but Ken and Eiichi were the people around Sora's age that took care of her when she was younger. Granted that both Ken and Sora were both much stronger than Eiichi, he knew he had to do what he could, and that was taking care of the Sky Pub. Ken had named it in Sora's honor, after all.

"Izou," Sora called the usual booth, catching the attention of the cross-dresser. Izou looked up from his food.

"Going to kill Ace in battle?" Izou asked, sliding out of the bar. He received a frown from Ace.

"Don't you have faith in me?" he complained, sighing.

"Marco, Thatch." Izou turned back to his senior commanders, who were both sipping from mugs of coffee. Sora hadn't even noticed Marco there; he normally came to sit at the bar and talk with her. She felt a little guilty.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sora said, heading back to the bar. Ace turned to see Sora pulling out a sheet of foil and folding it, and ripping of pieces. She then placed the finished product on her head, pulling a few pins out of her pocket to hold it there.

Ace chuckled. "A crown?"

"Because I'm the king."

"You're just the princess," Ace replied. He pointed a thumb at his chest. "Big daddy is the king."

Izou and Sora both scoffed at that, Sora laughing afterwards. "Oh, I'm going to beat you so badly, you're going to cry." Sora followed Ace out of the bar, the crown still perched atop her head.

"You not gonna bring your pretend weapon?" Izou asked.

"It's not pretend!" Sora defended, making a face at Izou. "And I don't need it to beat this second rate pirate."

"You gonna just take that?" Thatch chimed in, slapping Ace on the back.

Ace just shrugged as though not being egged on. "Nah, don't worry about it, man. She'll get hers."

"If I win, he has to stop teasing my boobs," Sora informed the boys, hopping in front of them and facing them. Marco and Thatch were suddenly interested in the air around them as though they could see air particles, while Izou just stared straight at Sora's chest.

He tilted his head like he didn't understand. "What is Ace saying about your breasts?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

Sora frowned, making a pouty face. "That they're small."

Izou turned his head at Ace, raising an eyebrow. Having been found out, the younger man grinned sheepishly. "Oh, you're the biggest liar I know," Izou said quietly, but Sora was already done listening anyway, running towards the hill.

Ace took a deep breath. He needed to win this fight. "I can beat her, right?" he asked his fellow division commanders.

Izou shrugged. "Maybe."

Marco chuckled, offering Ace a sad smile. "But probably not."

It was the answer he had expected. However, he did notice something in the fight between Sora and Marco. Whenever she moved, she always left her right side slightly open. It was for a second and then it was guarded again – it was like she was leaving room to draw a sword. He remembered Marco saying that a swordsman trained her. If he could edge an attack into that tiny window, then he knew he had a shot of really beating her.

When Ace reached the hill, Sora was already ready, hanging upside-down from wind circles around her feet. She had tied her hair and was floating around in circles, hanging her arms so it looked like a puppet master was just swinging her around. She giggled to herself in enjoyment and Ace chuckled. What a weird woman.

"Ready, Portgas D. Ace?" Sora asked, lowering herself right-side-up to the earth.

"I don't know. I might kill you," Ace said, lifting both hands and shrugging. He received a playful push from Sora. "But I dunno, I guess I can't really _kill _you 'cause then I'd have no girl to go on a date with after I pulverize you."

Sora laughed while Thatch, Marco, and Izou exchanged glances. "We're missing something here," Izou told Ace.

"Oh, I bet small boobs here date number two if I can beat her," Ace informed them, resting his arm on her shoulder.

"There was a date number one?" Izou asked, staring straight at Sora. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Because it wasn't important and it was shitty anyway," Sora answered, and Ace shoved her face teasingly, the woman grinning. Izou just decided to take that answer, not wanting to agitate Sora emotionally before a fight.

"Well, if our awesome day at the carnival was shitty, then wait 'til what I have in mind for date number two," Ace told Sora, rolling his shoulder blades back and doing washing machines as though warming up.

"Oh, so you've planned this out? In the time span of what, like, ten hours?" Sora teased. "Our date was yesterday, you know. And I only went because we had a proposition dealing with Kohaku. You think you can get me to come out again with you anytime soon?"

Ace smiled and answered, unhesitatingly, "Yes."

Izou saw Sora falter at that answer. He saw her bluff. Izou rolled his eyes. Why did Sora have to go through these kinds of measures rather than just admitting that she liked hanging out with the kid? It would certainly be a lot easier for Ace.

Then again, Izou didn't imagine Sora the type of person to go easy on anyone.

"Okay, the winner is the person who wins the match, right?" Ace asked.

Sora squinted her eyes. "Yes."

"Just asking, 'cause last time it was your pretend weapon thing."

"It's not pretend!"

Ace beckoned, ignoring her. "Come at me, small boobs."

Sora cracked her knuckles, the popping heard all the way from where Ace was. "You're gonna regret that." She burst forward, wind exploding from behind her as she closed the distance between them so quickly that Ace didn't have time to block. She punched him square in the gut and he flew backwards, hitting the ground hard. It'd been a while since he'd actually been hit quite that hard. Being a Logia type, Ace had to admit that he was a little spoiled in fights. Bullets passed through him, swords didn't cut him, and anyone that tried to hit him normally got burned.

He pulled himself up, knowing that was probably going to bruise. Sora was already in a stance, her hands in fists, ready to fight. "Aww, did widdo Ace-y poo forget that Sora has _haki_?" she cooed teasingly. "Your logia stuff won't work on me, shitty division commander."

Marco, Thatch, and Izou all 'ooh-ed' at Sora's insult, egging Ace on. And sure enough, a fire exploded in his eyes and he glared at Sora. None of them could even tell if he was joking or not. But they did know that if he wanted a shot at winning, he needed to get serious. Sora seemed to know this, too, and was doing this on purpose.

Flames ignited around Ace's hands as he balled them into tight fists. They crackled loudly, angrily, violently, billowing around his arms as Sora's wind blew embers around. Sora smiled, that same mischievous look crossing her face. Marco recognized it immediately – she was going to get serious.

Sora's _haki _burst forward in one pulsing motion, the air around them becoming thicker for a moment, and then fading as the heat from Ace's flames taking over the area. "I'm not going to go to easy on you," Sora told Ace. "You asked for it."

The fire around Ace's hands burst again as though acknowledging Sora's challenge. "Wouldn't be fun if you went easy on me, huh?"

Then like lightning, both parties shot forward, Ace throwing the first punch. Wind around Sora's hand swirled viciously, momentarily blowing away Ace's flames so she could dodge the punch and deliver one of her own. Ace saw it again, the brief moment were her right hand shot to her left hip, only to remember there was no blade to follow up the punch. It was there – he wasn't just imagining it – but thinking this allowed him to lose focus for one second and that was when Sora's left fist collided with his jaw, sending him flying backwards.

She didn't back up to take a stance – this time she followed him, leaping forward and allowing her body to be propelled by the wind. Ace held his arms up to block, but was kicked sharply in the back, and he jerked forward, slamming into the dirt again. "Dammit," he mumbled as he pulled himself up again. She was incredibly fast.

Ace leapt up, barely dodging a drop kick. Her kick uplifted earth, creating a much larger crater than he had ever seen during her fight with Marco. She was exerting all her strength. "_Shinka Shiranui_!" Ace called out, crossing his arms over his chest for a moment before firing two flame lances at Sora. They were flying straight at her and he thought he had a hit, but there was an explosion of wind and Ace had to shield his eyes. When he opened them, he saw her unscathed, wind settling around her.

She blew as though extinguishing a candle, mocking Ace. "I hope that's not all you got, studly." She whipped back her arm and slashed it in front of her. "_Kazeken_!"

Silver blades of wind hurtled toward Ace and he hopped backwards quickly. "_Kagerou_." He created a wall of flames in front of him to guard against her attack, the blades unable to penetrate fire. He lowered the wall to see Sora still standing there, smirking. "Seems like we're even."

Sora laughed, dismissing the idea. "I don't think so."

Ace made his hand into a gun, firing flame bullets at Sora, who easily deflected them with a swipe of her hand. In return, she held her left palm face up, while her right fingers seemed to be flicking off dust. Ace could see ripples in the wind – her own version of Ace's _higan _flying at him. He swept his arm, the wind disbanding with the heat of his flames. He grinned. "I'd say we're pretty even. But sorry, I've gotta end this quickly. I'm going on a date with a girl later on and I need time to plan everything out so she doesn't hate me."

Sora swallowed the lump in her throat at his words. So familiar and yet so strange. It wasn't Ken's voice anymore. It wasn't his face or his powers. It wasn't Ken. But then, it was. Sora focused on breathing. She could not let this man defeat her. Not in battle, not emotionally. She couldn't let him get in her head more than he already was. It would destroy her.

Ace continued to speak, flames crackling on his body. "I think you know her, she's this really off chick who likes stuffed animals and cheese."

"_Stop talking_," Sora said sharply, rushing Ace. She cocked her fist backward. She needed to end it. She needed to shut him up.

Ace dodged her fist as it shot downward, the earth shattering before her flesh even touched the ground. The pure pressure of her strength and wind propulsion was impressive.

Izou was worried. Without realizing it, Ace had already agitated Sora. Without even knowing Takamune Kenjiro, Ace was repeating history. The most painful thing for Sora was her past, and unknowingly, Ace was bringing up all that anguish with just his words. Izou watched Sora now, her movement wilder and less calculated than they had been during the fight with Marco. She wasn't thinking anymore – she just wanted to end the fight.

Izou glanced at Marco and Thatch. They could feel it, too.

Ace hopped backwards, dodging all her attacks pretty easily with simple shifts in his weight, moving with her punches and then swerving slightly so he still had room to step back. He moved backwards, and didn't allow Sora to get any closer, a tube of flame enclosing his body, his _enkai_. With one wave of his hand, he sent the flames out, fire forming more lances, launched towards Sora.

She seemed surprised and flipped through the flames, trying to dodge. But Izou saw one flame burn her arm and she grabbed it afterwards, wincing slightly. Sora was sensitive to temperature. She was easily cold but just as easily too hot also. She didn't have time to do more because Ace launched himself at her, trying to land a hit. Sora ducked and attempted to sweep at his legs, but Ace leapt over her and kicked downward. Sora rolled out of the way and lifted her arm just in time to block another of Ace's attacks.

"Watch out before your crown burns up," Ace teased Sora, noticing that she had pinned her foil crown pretty well – it was still in her hair. It was wrinkled and a little torn, but there nonetheless.

"Shut up," Sora shot back, leaping up. She enveloped her hand in a fierce, violent wind that encased her entire arm, launching it back for a punch. Izou recognized it. It was her _tatsumaki dageki_ – tornado strike. Sora had only used it one time – for her promotion to second division commander – due to its devastating after effects. If Ace was hit by it, he might actually die.

"Sora—" Izou called out, but the woman didn't hear his voice.

Ace grinned, unafraid and unaware of the strength in that attack. "Sorry, princess," he said, and in that moment, Izou saw Sora falter for one small second upon hearing that familiar nickname. Ace took that chance. "_Hiken_!" It was smaller, but he managed to launch a flaming fist through Sora's right guard, striking her straight in the gut. She keeled over and Izou saw her lose consciousness for a second, her eyes blanking before snapping awake again. It was too late, however, because Ace had already slammed a kick into her broken guard. She was unable to regain balance, and Ace shoved her downward, kneeling over her stomach, pinning both hands above her head.

Some of Sora's clothes were singed, and she was out of breath, breathing hard. Izou knew it wasn't from exhaustion. "Oh, my God," Ace muttered, grinning. "I won!"

Sora coughed, still hurt from Ace's fire fist to her stomach. She had never been hit so hard. She felt like some of her ribs were probably cracked. Ace looked down at her, his dark hair falling into his face. "I won! Now we're going on a date and you're small boobs forever," Ace told her, grinning.

She looked up and for a second, it was Ken smiling down at her, his freckles rising with his smile. She coughed again, averting her eyes for a moment to wash out the image. When she looked back, it was the second division commander looking down her. "Yeah," she breathed. "You won."

Ace lowered his face to hers, rubbing his nose against hers briefly – an Eskimo kiss – and smiling gently. Sora was surprised by his affections, the breath catching in her chest. "It'll be fun. You won't regret it."

Ace climbed off her, holding out his hand to help her up. Sora stood up, feeling a stabbing sensation in her abdomen. She nearly fell over again, but Ace caught her gently, helping her stand and keep her balance. A look of concern crossed his face as he brushed hair out of her face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sora groaned, holding her stomach. She grinned at Ace slightly. "That was a pretty rough punch. You really were trying to kill me, huh?"

"No, I wasn't!" Ace said, shaking his head. He scooped her up bridal style. "Sorry. Not letting my date walk home with an injury."

Sora sighed. She let her arms wrap around Ace's neck. It wasn't like she could really walk back to the bar like this. She needed at least a day to recover from Ace's punch. She felt the burns on her abdomen, still stinging. Ace noticed, sighing. "I'm sorry," he said again, sounding sincere.

"It's okay," Sora assured him. They reached Marco, Thatch, and Izou, all of whom were trying their best to hide their shock. _Sora _had lost a battle. To Ace. It wasn't that Ace wasn't strong because they all knew he was. But it was just common knowledge that Sora was stronger.

If Ace wasn't the mirror image of Ken, Izou knew that Sora would have won. Marco and Thatch knew it, too. But none of them wanted to say anything. Ace didn't know about Ken. Sora didn't tell him. It was probably because of this that she didn't want to say anything. She _couldn't _say anything.

"Be excited, though," Ace told Sora as they headed down the hill. "Date number two is going to be two times as awesome as the first one."

Sora found a little strength to giggle. "If it's not?"

"I'll be sad," Ace answered, shrugging as though this was supposed to have been known. "But it's going to be awesome. I promise. You will wish the rest of your life would be as awesome as our second date. You'd wish it would last forever."

The woman laughed again. "Okay, we'll see."

Ace smiled gently. He was glad that he won. He would have another chance to show this woman that he was serious. "We shall."


	13. Chapter 13: Welcome to the Moby Dick

_Sora struggled to breathe. Her blood was leaking into the ocean – it was only a matter of time before the Seakings found her and finished her. Who was she kidding? Setting out by herself to travel all the way to Marineford – it was a childish dream. She clung desperately to the only remaining part of her ship – the mast – her sword lifted just above the surface of the water. She couldn't let it get wet. She couldn't let it rust._

_ At least she would have died for something. Her knapsack was heavy; she had stolen a devil fruit from a ship. Sora had run out of food, and snuck on a ship. As morally incorrect as it was, the sight of a chest made Sora's heart explode in her chest. She needed to open it and see what was in it. She snatched the bright blue fruit, tucking in it her knapsack – maybe she could sell it for a lot of money in the next town and actually buy some food. Sora had then grabbed a bag of food, and made for an escape._

_ Lunch time didn't work out so well, obviously._

_ At least they didn't notice that she had stolen their precious devil fruit. These things cause so much havoc – she wanted to become strong without magical powers. She needed to catch up to Ken the real way. It wouldn't even do her good now, as eating a devil fruit would make the user an anchor._

_ But maybe she'd die faster. If she ate the fruit and just sank to the bottom of the ocean, the fruit would die with her. It would respawn somewhere else, sure, but it would probably be a while until someone else found it. _

_ She heard the sound of waves and looked up to see a giant ship. It shadowed her completely, eclipsing the setting sun. "Oy!" called a voice from above. Sora could barely keep her eyes open. She felt them become heavy, but fought to keep the sword out of the water. _

_ There was a splash nearby and Sora saw a white and purple ring floating nearby. "Hey, grab it, kid!" called the same voice from above. She didn't even have the strength to look up to see who was trying to save her. Her wounds were numb – she had lost a lot of blood and couldn't even feel her arms. Sora used the last of her strength to throw her sword onto the ring. It balanced, and she smiled – at least the sword wasn't damaged. And then she felt her eyes close, and the mast slipped from her grasp._

_ "Thatch! Go grab her!" the voice called back, and the last thing she remembered was a loud splash, and warm arms pulling her from the sea._

_ Sora was in and out of consciousness, vaguely seeing faces she didn't recognize, and then blacking out again. When she awoke, it was dark, and most of her body was wrapped in bandages. She was also dressed in dry, clean clothes that were a little big for her. She gasped and clutched herself – who had bandaged and changed her?_

_ "Relax," said a voice and Sora recognized it as the man who had been calling to her earlier. She turned to see a man who didn't look too much older than her, with blonde hair. He smiled at her, patting her on the head. "The nurses changed your clothes and did a lot of your bandaging. It'd be weird if one of us did it, right? We're all men."_

_ Sora recognized the crest tattooed on the man's chest. She froze. She glanced around the room quickly, and her eyes flicked over her sword. Swiftly, she leapt out of bed, snatching her sword from the corner and making a run for the door. However, she had momentarily forgotten that she was handicapped. The hours spent floating in the ocean waiting to die combined with the loss of blood and slashes all over her body took it toll on her and she collapsed onto the floor with a hard thud, the IV she was connected to clattering to the ground._

_ "Oy, oy," the man said, rushing to her side. He gently swooped her up bridal style, and laid her back in bed. She could feel the man's calloused hands, and his body was surprisingly warm. He sat back down in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking. "You're cute, trying to escape and all, but cuteness doesn't make up for strength. You need to rest a little while more before you can walk around."_

_ Sora ignored him. "You're a pirate."_

_ The blonde grinned, not at all worried at her realization. "First division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. The name's Marco. What's yours?"_

_ "I don't tell my name to _pirates_," Sora snapped, shifting her body so she was on her side, her back facing Marco._

_ "Even pirates that saved your life? Those are my clothes, too, you know," Marco said, laughing. "Come on, how about a trade? I saved your life, you give me your name, and we'll call it even."_

_ Sora took a deep breath, and sat up, turning to face him. "Sora."_

_ Marco flashed her a grin. "That's a pretty name."_

_ "How long was I asleep?" Sora asked cautiously, as though Marco was going to suddenly attack and slit her throat._

_ "Three days. You were pretty beat up," he said. "If we found you even five minutes later, you'd probably be dead."_

_ "I guess I owe you my thanks."_

_ Marco shook his head and smiled. "Nah, it's alright," he said, and then paused. He wondered if she had any crewmates. They had found the wreckage of her little ship, but no other people. He wondered if there actually had been people, but they had been kidnapped, or perished with the destruction of their boat. "You didn't…have any _nakama_, right?"_

_ "No, I was alone."_

_ Marco scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "Sailing the Grand Line alone? How old are you, like seventeen?"_

_ Sora averted her eyes, making a face. "Sixteen."_

_ He laughed heartily, shaking his head, but instead of doubting her, he said, "Incredible."_

_ Sora swallowed a lump in her throat. Was this pirate _complimenting_ her? "Thanks."_

_ Marco nodded at the sword, sheathed in a bright red scabbard. "So, you're a swordsman, huh?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ "You any good?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ Marco smiled at her unwavering confidence, even to the first division commander of the most powerful crew sailing the seas. "Maybe we can spar sometime."_

_ Despite her rather pathetic looking state, Marco felt her presence radiating off her body – an aura of confidence. "I'd kill a pirate like you."_

_ Marco ruffled her hair. "I like you, kid."_

"_If you're gonna ask for my name, use it," Sora said, and against her will, smiled a little. _

_The man just chuckled and nodded. "Okay, Sora. Well, where were you headed anyway?"_

_ "Marineford," Sora answered, still wondering what she was doing talking to a dangerous man like Marco as though they were just sitting in a café having tea. But she was starting to feel a little fatigued, and sank into the bed, pulling the blankets over her body._

_ Marco's lips curved into a smirk. "Gonna become a marine?"_

_ Sora felt her eyes closing as she nodded. "Gonna kill pirates."_

_ The last thing she heard was Marco's voice. "We'll see about that."_

_ Sora awoke with a start, breathing heavily. She heard shuffling and found herself staring into the eyes of another man she didn't recognize. He had his hair neatly tied up, and had pale skin, and his colored lips turned into a smile. "Hi, new girl. I was just taking off your IV. Don't mind me." He reached up, professionally removing the bag from the stand and peeling some of Sora's bandages off to remove the needles. Sora stayed awake._

_ "Who are you?"_

_ The man in the kimono turned. "Izou. Are you feeling a little better, new girl?"_

_ "Sora," she said without thinking. What the hell was she doing? She just gave her name to _two _pirates._

_ Izou smiled kindly. "It's very nice to meet you. You should be able to walk around a little, but don't stress out too much. You're still in no condition to be doing anything wild. Marco wanted to take you on a tour of the ship later, if you were interested."_

_ Sora remembered that name – the man who had spoken to her that night. She remembered his warmth and his smile and felt herself blush, covering her cheeks. She was disgusted with herself – why was she swooning over a _pirate_?_

_ Izou seemed to notice as well and smirked. "Oh, you're so cute. He might be a little old for you right now, though, so maybe in a few years you can go for it."_

_ Sora was speechless, and just shook her head, the man laughing. He held out his hand to help her out of bed. "Come on. It's nearly been a week already – you're due for some sunlight."_

_ A week? Sora had been out for a week? She took Izou's hand and he grabbed her other hand, assisting her in standing up from the bed. Her legs felt weak – she had probably lost some muscle mass, but Izou helped her to the door, and she could feel her strength returning. "Better?" he asked, feeling her a little more able to walk on her own. He grabbed her sword from the corner, and she noticed that they had tied on a string for her to carry it on her back. She allowed him to help her do so. _

_ The teenager nodded, remembering the familiar weight of her sword. She felt so empty without it. "Yeah. Thanks."_

_ Izou pushed open the door, Sora shielding herself from the rays of sunlight. "Welcome to the _Moby Dick_."_

_ The ship was the largest she had ever seen, spanning out like a field in front of her, men working the sails and swabbing the deck, chattering and laughing together. She looked up, covering her eyes from the sun for a moment to see the Whitebeard Jolly Roger emblazoned on an enormous flag, and felt her stomach drop. What was she even doing here? She needed to leave and get to Marineford as soon as possible._

_ "Oy!" greeted a voice, and Sora turned to see Marco coming down a few stairs. "Strong enough to walk are we?" he asked, patting her on the head. "Wanna go on a tour?"_

_ Sora shook her head. "I can't be here. I have to get to Marineford," she told the pirate, and he exchanged looks with Izou, smiling._

_ Marco grinned. "Sorry, kid, but I don't think there's any way we'll be able to take you to Marineford. That's not a good place for us wanted men, you know?"_

_ "But I'm going to become a marine," Sora insisted, furrowing her brows. "I have to go to a marine base."_

_ Izou patted her on the shoulder and smiled a little. "Um, I don't think we can take you there either."_

_ Sora's chest tightened. No, she couldn't be trapped on a ship with pirates! She _needed _to become a marine and catch up to Ken. She needed to become stronger and show him her presence. She couldn't do that on a pirate ship! It was the total opposite direction of where she wanted to go in life. _

_ Marco seemed to sense her unease and grabbed her wrist gently. "Come on, Sora. Let's go on a tour. Fresh air is nice—"_

_ "_Let go_!" Sora said, a gust of wind exploding around her hand, blowing off Marco's hand. It blew back her hair and even Izou had to shield himself for a moment. Some of the crew turned to stare as well. She froze, staring at her hands, her fingers visibly shaking. "W-what was that?" she asked._

_ "I guess that's your power," Marco said, smiling despite the fact that Sora had yelled at him. _

_ "My—_what_?" she was practically screaming, her voice frantic. She could feel her heart bursting from her chest. Her eyes flicked from Marco to Izou and back again._

_ "We didn't have a lot of time," Marco explained, scratching the back of his head. "Even with our medicine and care, you would have died, but we found a devil fruit in your bag. Devil fruits give its users strength as well as the ability itself, so we mashed that up and fed it to you intravenously. It helped a lot, and restored most of your strength faster than we expected—"_

_ Sora's palm collided with Marco's cheek and even Izou seemed surprised – Sora had just slapped the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Other crewmen stopped what they were doing to stare. She clutched her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Who do you think you are? You should have just let me die!" she screamed at Marco through her tears._

_ Marco didn't say anything, just stood there, also dumbfounded. "I don't need this," Sora said, marching to the railing of the ship. She pushed herself atop it. "I'm a monster that's just better off dead." Sora turned her toes downward – if she dropped, then she would sink to Davy Jones' Locker and be lost forever. She might not have caught up to Ken, but at least she didn't have to live like a demon._

_ "Hey," said a voice, and Marco grabbed her wrist again. Sora turned around, alarmed. She had just slapped this man and he was still trying to help her? Tears rolled down her cheeks. Just who were these people? Marco smiled. "Get down from there. I understand you're going through a lot right now, but you don't need to throw away your life. I'll take you to our captain – maybe you can work out something with him."_

_ To Whitebeard? Before Sora could respond, Marco's strong arms wrapped around her and swept her off the railing, placing her on her feet. He leaned down and ran his thumb over her cheek, wiping away her tears as he smiled. "Don't cry. Just follow me."_

_ He started up the stairs and Sora hesitated, lifting her hands to her face to wipe away her tears. She glanced at Izou, who nodded at her to follow him. Against her better judgment, Sora felt her feet moving, weight shifting from one foot to the next as she ascended the stairs after Marco. He peered behind him for a bit, making sure she was following._

_ "_Oyaji_," Marco called, and Sora looked up to see a giant man sitting in a chair. Tubes were hooked up to him and several nurses were around him, working on medicine of some sort. _Oyaji_? Who addressed their captain as their father? "She's awake."_

_ The large man smiled, wrinkles creasing his old face. "You were out for some time," he said, his voice deep._

_ Sora remained silent, keeping her eyes to the ground. The most feared man in all the seas was sitting right in front of her. Sora whipped out her sword and moved as quickly as she could, dashing for the old man. But she didn't even get close, and some force repelled her backward. She hit the deck hard, and rolled, her sword clattering against the wood. Sora lifted herself up instantly, her hand wrapping around the handle of her blade. She lowered her body and charged again – if she could defeat this man, she would be one step closer to showing Ken her strength._

_ But once again, she was pushed back without as much as a blink from the old man. Sora's body collided with the ground, and Marco noticed that some of her wounds opened up, dark splotches of blood appearing on his white linen shirt she was wearing. He sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder when she stood up. "Stop before you hurt yourself," he told her, moving his hand to pat her head. "Sheath your blade, or I will have no choice but to fight you."_

_ Sora could sense no malice in his voice, but her intuition told her that Marco's threat was not empty. Begrudgingly, she slid her sword back in its bright red scabbard, averting her eyes again, ashamed. Marco's arm slid around her shoulder and he walked closer to Whitebeard. "_Oyaji_, this is the girl we rescued," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. Again with that word – _Oyaji_. Why? Sora couldn't understand why Whitebeard was addressed as such._

_ Whitebeard laughed, the sound rumbling in Sora's chest. "A feisty one, eh? What's your name, child?"_

_ "None of your concern," Sora snapped, raising her gaze to glower viciously at Whitebeard. A pirate? No, Sora's goal was to become a marine and slay pirates. Her goal was justice – with Ken at the finish line._

_ But the captain just laughed, sipping from a rather giant bowl of sake. "I like her, Marco. Give her a room."_

_ "There's no way in hell I'd stay here," Sora said, unafraid of this man. "I'm going to Marineford to become a marine."_

_ "Okay," Whitebeard said, taking Sora off guard. He held up a tiny key with his two fingers, a metal chain looped through it. "This key will open the door to the room in which we store some smaller ships. If a kid like you wants to travel alone, then so be it – but until you can take this key from me, you will remain here with us," he said, and strung the key around his neck. Sora's hand flew to her blade and Whitebeard held up his hand. "At least rest up first, kid. You're in no condition to be trying for this key now. Get some rest, become stronger, and we will see where you stand. Marco," he said, nodding. _

_ "Ah, okay, well, I'll show you your room," he said, patting her on the head. He felt that her breathing was shallow as she was struggling not to show pain. The blood on her shirt was increasing and she was discretely clutching her side. He smiled at her strength. "But first, let's change your bandages."_

_ Sora ate alone that night. The crew ate together in a giant dining hall, but Sora had taken a loaf of bread to the room Marco had shown her. She sat on her hammock, cross-legged, nibbling from the bread. She wasn't hungry._

_ She gazed at the hammocks around her, all empty. Everyone was downstairs at the party. She remembered Marco saying that the only available room was one with the division commanders, so Sora knew for a fact that she was staying with the strongest men on the ship – some of the strongest men in the world._

_ She buried her face in her hands. How did it come to this? How, in one day, were all of her dreams crushed? Was she even human anymore? Sora felt like her life didn't even matter. What was the use of trying to catch Ken when by default, with the power of the devil fruit, she was strong? He would never acknowledge her with a power like that._

_ There was a rapping on the door and Sora quickly wiped away her tears. She spent a lot more time than usual crying. She looked up to see Marco standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. He smiled at her. "Why aren't you downstairs?"_

_ Sora scoffed. "As if I would break bread with pirates."_

_ Marco smiled despite her hateful answer. He closed the door and sat at a desk near Sora's bed. "We aren't all that bad."_

_ "I'm going to become strong," she said. "And I'm going to take that key and leave this ship forever. And after I become a marine, I will come after your crew."_

_ The blonde grinned. "I hope so. You're a tough kid. You'd be fun to fight, I'm sure," he said, receiving a scoff from Sora. "Show me your new powers."_

_ "No," Sora said, crossing her arms. "I'm…a monster. Devil fruit users are monsters."_

_ Marco's hand burst into a light blue flame and Sora gasped slightly, surprised. He reached out to her, but Sora shied away, not wanting to be burned. "Go on," he said, holding his palm out as though expecting her to touch his hand although it was ablaze. Sora shook her head and the blonde man laughed. "Come on, trust me."_

_ "You're asking me to trust a pirate," Sora said, staring at Marco incredulously._

_ "No, I'm asking you to trust _me_," he said, keeping his hand in place. Reluctantly, Sora reached out her small hand, flinching a little, and then allowed her flesh to be consumed by the fire as she took Marco's hand. _

"_It's…not hot," she said, only feeling Marco's skin beneath hers, completely unaffected by the blue flames._

_ "My fire isn't made to burn," Marco said, extinguishing the flame. Sora took her hand back. "The power of the phoenix – its purpose is to heal and protect. Does that…make me a monster?" he asked and for the first time, Sora didn't know how to respond. "I showed you my power, now show me yours, and we'll call it even."_

_ Sora swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn't know how to summon her power. So she just closed her eyes and tried to imagine what wind would look like. Marco felt a breeze, and Sora's long hair blew back slightly as wind circled her hands. He noticed she wasn't a Logia type despite being an element. Also feeling the wind, Sora seemed startled and opened her eyes, the wind bursting and disappearing. _

_ "That was nice," Marco told her, smiling. "I'm sure you'll be able to do a lot with it. How about we train tomorrow? I can help you harness your power."_

_ "Why are you helping me?" Sora demanded, confused. "You don't even know me. I told you I was going to be a marine and come after your captain and your crew – my only purpose here is to take that key so I can leave to Marineford. What do you want from me? Why are you so nice to me?"_

_ Marco didn't seem surprised at all by her hostility. He figured that anyone would have that kind of reaction if they were stuck on a ship full of people they didn't know and a new devil fruit power they didn't know how to use. "Because we're _nakama_."_

_ Sora's chest tightened with that word. _Nakama_. Sora didn't have any of those. Sure, she had Arashi Island, but she knew that was different. Those people saw her as a daughter – but to be seen as _nakama_, that was something much more intense and deeper than anything anyone had ever addressed her as. It was deeper than a companion, deeper than a friend, or a comrade, and Sora felt a warm feeling settle in her chest._

_ "_Nakama_?" she said quietly, wringing her hands together slightly._

_ Marco nodded. "For as long as you're on this ship, consider every single one of us _nakama_."_

_ "I…can't be _nakama _with pirates," Sora said, looking away. The warm feeling extinguished, like the flame of a candle being blown out._

_ But the blonde man only offered her a smile. "Maybe someday, then," he said, and stood up, ruffling her hair. "Get some rest. I'll start training you tomorrow, bright and early."_

_ Marco turned his back on the girl, only hearing her mutter something that sounded like, "okay," before leaving the room in silence._

* * *

_ "One more time, come on!" Marco called, his arms consumed in blue flames that spread out to be wings. They were on a different part of the deck now, and the sun was high overhead. Sora was breathing hard, beads of sweat dripping down the side of her head. She struggled to keep a grip on her sword, her vision becoming blurry._

_ She summoned her strength and ran at Marco, dodging one of his kicks and whirling behind him, slashing side wards. He was much, much faster and deflected her blow easily, staggering her. She dropped to one knee, gasping for breath._

_ "Oy, go easy on her," she heard Izou say. He was observing, a couple bandages in his hand for afterwards. Sora knew she would be needing them though._

_ "Do _not_ go easy on me," Sora choked immediately, pushing herself off the ground._

_ Marco smirked, impressed by her spirit. "You haven't hit me once today, Sora. Use your devil fruit power."_

_ "No," she responded, removing a hand from he sword to wipe the sweat from her brows._

_ "Without that, or any control over _haki_, you're never gonna even come close to beating me, kid," Marco assured her, launching towards her again, Sora barely having any time to raise her sword to block another of Marco's bulldozing kicks. Despite blocking, she was staggered again, dropping to the ground. Sora expected him to hit her again, but instead, the blue flames around him disappeared, and he held out a hand to help her up. "We can be done for the day. How about we grab some lunch?"_

_ Reluctantly, Sora took his hand and he effortlessly raised her from the ground. She took her hand back immediately as Izou came to her. "Your arms are bleeding," he told her, and Sora noticed another one of Marco's shirts ruined, stained with dark red blood on the sleeves._

_ Marco could see that she was upset, and he ruffled her hair. "Don't worry about it. They're only clothes; I can just buy new ones later. Here, let me help," he said, grabbing the wraps from Izou. He raised Sora's sleeves and removed her old bandages. He quickly wiped down her wounds and rewrapped both her arms. Izou just smiled as the young girl averted her eyes, obviously a little smitten._

_ "Alright," Marco said when he was done, grinning at Sora. He patted her on the head again. "Let's go eat. I'm hungry. I have more people I want you to meet, too."_

_ Sora ran a hand through her hair, feeling the sweat and oil. She made a face at how dirty she was from just a few hours of sparring. It was a spar, but it was probably the most intense fight she had ever been in. Her wounds were contributing to a little fatigue, but her arms were sore and numb from the strength of Marco's kicks. She couldn't even feel them anymore – they were just appendages hanging from her body, useless._

_ "Tie it or cut it," Izou said, smiling as he Sora a hair tie. _

_ Sora shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll shower afterwards."_

_ Izou shrugged, stuffing the tie back into the pocket of his kimono. They pushed open a door and headed downstairs into the dining room, where several pirates were already having lunch. It was an extremely large dining hall, with rows and rows of long tables and a bar that stretched the width of the ship. It was more like a ballroom than the inside of a pirate ship._

_ "Oy, Marco!" called a voice, and Sora turned to see a brown haired man seated next to a rather large tanned man, mountains of food in front of them. Sora vaguely recognized the brunette as the man who had pulled her from the ocean. She assumed that he didn't have a devil fruit._

_ "Hey," Marco said, changing direction and heading towards them. He held his arm out, allowing Sora to make her way next to him. Marco smiled, putting his arm around her. "This is our new girl."_

_ "Hey! Nice to see you're awake. I'm Thatch," the brown-haired man said, smiling._

_ "Jozu," the larger tanned man introduced._

_ Marco glanced at Sora and reluctantly, she said, "My name is Sora."_

_ Thatch grinned. "That's a nice name."_

_ Marco gestured to the bench. "Have a seat. I'll go grab some drinks," he said, and left the table, heading into the kitchen._

_ "You pulled me out of the water, right?" Sora asked Thatch, who nodded. She looked down at the table. "Thank you."_

_ "Hey, don't worry about it," the man said, smiling. "Glad to know you're alive. Where're you from?"_

_ "Arashi Island," she answered, just staring at the food in front of her. The only thing she had for breakfast was the leftover bread from last night, and she was pretty sure she had burned off all those calories within the first ten minutes of fighting Marco. She held her stomach, a hunger piercing the organ._

_ "The storm island," Thatch said, recognizing the name. "The only island in the Grand Line that experiences all seasons, huh? How is that?"_

_ "Okay," she answered, not really sure how to respond. She knew that all the islands in the Grand Line had a seasonal theme. Arashi Island was known as the island of storms because of the waves and waves of pirates that came. Hurricanes were also quite common, so that also contributed to the name as well._

_ "Here," Marco said, sliding Sora a mug as he sat down across of her._

_ "Is that beer? Marco, she's sixteen," Izou scolded, rolling his eyes._

_ "You're sixteen?" Thatch asked, incredulous. "Sixteen and trying to sail the Grand Line alone? That's crazy! You're one brave girl!"_

_ "Thanks," she said, her eyes burning a hole in the table._

_ "Go ahead and eat," Jozu piped in, pushing toward her a little piece of the mountain of food. It wasn't that little, though – it was twice the size of her face and piled quite high with delicious smelling food. _

_ "No, thank you," Sora said, shaking her head despite the fact that she was famished. She fought every single urge in her body that screamed for her to inhale that entire plate of food and shovel more down her throat to make up for the morning and the past week she spent bedridden._

_ Marco furrowed his brows, seeming genuinely concerned. "Oy, you had a rough morning, just eat before you pass out or something."_

_ "I will not break bread with pirates," she said again, not afraid that she was surrounded by four of the strongest men in the world. _

_ Thatch just laughed, breaking the awkward silence. "Alright, well more for us, then," he said, sliding the plate that was in front of Sora over to himself. Marco shot him a look, but Thatch just shrugged. "You're always welcome to eat with us," he assured her. "But I mean, if you feel like you can't trust us yet, we understand."_

_ "Sorry," Sora said, not even realizing what she was saying. What the hell was she doing apologizing?_

_ "Nah," Thatch said, taking a bite out of a chicken leg. "Oh, yeah, I heard you want to be a marine."_

_ "That makes us enemies, doesn't it?" Sora said._

_ But the pirates just laughed, shaking their heads. "Nah," Izou said, patting her on the head. "You're with us on the ship, right? We don't consider you an enemy, Sora. Far from that."_

_ Sora seemed surprised again, and Marco just smiled. He hoped that in time she would come to see them as friends – as _nakama_. She looked like someone who needed that kind of bond._

_ Sora sat quietly for most of the time, just watching the men talk and answering when they asked her questions, but other than that, she didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe she was sitting at a table with pirates. Sora was born to be a marine. She hoped they didn't hear her stomach growling. Maybe she would take another oaf of bread back to her room later._

_ They were done rather quickly and left for the deck, Sora following behind, plotting. She needed to find a way to get that key and get in a ship to Marineford. Being here was just a waste of her time. She saw Whitebeard, sitting on his normal chair with the nurses tending to him, the key dangling from his neck. That key was everything._

_ Without even thinking, she broke from the group of men, unsheathing her sword with a newfound determination and revitalization, leaping into the air. She got closer this time, but with just a flick of his finger, Whitebeard shot her away, sending Sora to the deck again._

_ Sora's whole body ached and Marco came to her side. Sora tried to push herself up, but her hunger and fatigue from today was taking its toll on her. She was unable to even lift herself to her knees. Propping herself up on her hands was as far as she could go before her numb arms kicked in and dropped her body back to the wood._

_ Marco sighed, picking her up again. "See, I told you that you should have eaten something," he said. Whitebeard just smiled, watching his first division commander take the woman back downstairs to her room._

_ The days went by like this. Sora had healed from her injuries and sparred with Marco everyday. Whenever she saw Whitebeard, she tried to take the key, but was always terribly unsuccessful. _

_One day, during a routine morning spar, Marco smiled at the girl, who, for some reason, fought with her hair let down. "You're getting faster," he said. The girl didn't say anything, and just held her blade out in front of her. She hated to admit it, but she knew it was true. Because of her spars with Marco everyday, she could feel herself getting stronger – she could see his moves more clearly, and was even starting to be able to push him back after a block. "You can still use your fruit, you know. I won't get mad or anything."_

_ But the girl still refused. "No," she insisted, just like how she did everyday. "I don't need it."_

_ "Yeah, you don't," Marco agreed. "But it helps."_

_ Sora was firm in her answer. "No."_

_ And everyday, she continued to get beaten by Marco. She even tried fighting Izou, Thatch, Jozu, and some of the other division commanders she had met. She had lost pathetically each time. She could land a hit or two on everyone except Marco, but always still ended up losing. But none of the men ever teased her about it. Each of them provided her with advice to become better._

_ "Don't take so long to draw your sword," Izou said one day as he bandaged her hand. "I know a little _Iaidou_, I can help if you want. I don't use it all the time, but it helps with speed."_

_ "Okay," Sora said. She figured that if she was ever going to get that key from Whitebeard, she was going to need all the help she could get. So she always accepted whenever the division commanders helped her with a new technique – but she still ate in her room alone, and kept to herself most of the time._

_ The days passed by and Sora lost track of the time she was even here. It all seemed like a nightmarish routine. She'd get beat in the morning by Marco or one of the other division commanders, and Whitebeard would swat her away like a little flea._

_ Another day after what felt like the hundredth time Sora hit the deck, she heard Marco go over to Whitebeard. "_Oyaji_, has she gotten stronger?" he asked with a grin._

_ Sora pulled herself off the ground to see the giant man nod slightly. "A little. Still too weak to obtain the key. Do not fear your devil fruit ability – embrace it, and you might be able to leave."_

_ "No," Sora snapped, stomping down the stairs in a huff._

_ Marco chuckled. When he was sure she was gone, he turned back up to his captain. "You think she'll be strong?"_

_ The man did not hesitate in nodding this time. "She has potential to be great. You felt it, too, did you not? She has powerful _haki_ – she is just unable to control it. That, on top of her devil fruit would make for a devastating combination."_

_ The blonde man nodded, knowing all too well what Whitebeard was talking about. "She doesn't want to try using her power, though."_

_ "She is stubborn," Whitebeard chuckled. "But strong. She fights for what she believes in and does not lose sight of her goal. Never have I met such a little woman with such a strong spirit."_

_ Those words stuck in Marco's head. For Whitebeard to be impressed with a sixteen-year-old girl was impressive in itself. Marco was just frustrated because he knew that she could do more, and be more than she was, if she just stopped being stubborn._

_ He began to watch her more closely. Because his captain had obviously noticed Sora, Marco began to as well. He had so many questions. Whitebeard said she fights for what she believed in, but what was that? Why did she want to become a marine so badly? Why did she not want to use her fruit powers? _

_ "I'm not fighting you today," Marco said when Sora came out one morning._

_ "What?" she asked, furrowing her brows together. Marco just sat cross-legged, not budging. "Fine, whatever. Izou, can we spar?" she called over to the man._

_ "Sorry," Izou said, shaking his head as he told her what Marco asked him to say._

_ Sora made a face. "Thatch?"_

_ Thatch shook his head, shrugging, doing the same as Izou. "Ask Marco."_

_ "What the hell?" Sora demanded, crossing the deck to reach Marco._

_ "Are you mad?" Marco asked, looking up at her, raising his eyebrow._

_ Sora glowered down at him. "I thought we were supposed to spar everyday. You said you would teach me."_

_ Marco stood up, rolling his shoulder blades back and stretching his arms. "I don't need to waste my time on a kid who won't take my advice._

_ "What are you talking about? I always listen to you," Sora snapped. She hated when Marco called her 'kid'._

_ "Use your powers, then."_

_ "Is that what this is about? I already told you that I don't need my devil fruit."_

_ "Are you naïve?" Marco asked, looking down at her. This was the first time he raised his voice at her or spoke to her in a way that wasn't polite. But this was it. Marco couldn't take it anymore. Sora wasn't progressing much at all; she had reached a plateau. "If you don't choose to utilize everything in your arsenal because you feel it's 'cheating', then you're just an immature little kid that doesn't even deserve our time."_

_ "Excuse me?" Sora said, balling her hand into a fist._

_ "You heard me. You're just a child and you have no business being on our ship. You're cold to every one of us. You don't accept us as pirates, okay, fine, but the thing is, Sora, you don't even accept yourself as a human being. Without that fruit, you would be dead. It saved your life and you refuse to acknowledge it. That sounds pretty immature to me—"_

_ "Marco! One of Kaidou's ships is on its way!" called one of the crewmen, dashing downstairs to the cannons. _

_ "Kaidou? The _yonkou_?" Sora asked. Another of the strong pirate was coming here._

_ Marco shook his head, sighing. He ignored her. "Go downstairs and wait in the cabins. This will be over quickly. It's most likely one of his disposables."_

_ "If you won't fight me then I'll fight those guys," Sora said, heading to the main part of the deck._

_ "Stop," Marco demanded, and Sora whirled around and marched back towards him._

_ "Make me," she challenged, looking up at him. In those big blue eyes, Marco saw no fear, just a storm of blues swirling together. She knew that Marco could finish her in one hit, but she didn't back down. Sora scoffed when Marco didn't say anything and turned on her heel again, stomping towards the main deck._

_ Marco ran a hand through his hair. That was definitely not how that was supposed to have gone. He expected her to have summoned her powers right away and hit him or something, but she had stayed true to her conviction and hadn't done a thing. Thatch shrugged, having also thought the same thing. They both headed to the main deck, where many crewmen were already gathered, including Sora, her hand resting on the handle of her blade._

_ One of Kaidou's ships flanked the _Moby Dick _and there was a scuffle, pirates from both sides swining to the other side's ship to try and overtake them. Marco made sure to keep an eye on Sora as she engaged with a swordsman from Kaidou's pirates. He watched her move swiftly, blocking his wild parries with her blade easily. She moved like water, flowing and slick, eventually winning the fight, the man dead at her feet._

_ Then something seemed to snap within her. Marco realized that was probably the first person she ever killed. Her hands began to shake and even from across the deck, he could feel her losing her confidence. But he wasn't the only one – a man wielding dual pistols had his eyes locked on her too, ready to take out any pirate not prepared for battle. Sora didn't see him at all, attempting to retreat for the cabins. Marco cursed under his breath, kicked his opponent overboard, and flew to Sora._

_ Sora was in shock. Her hands were stained with blood. She had killed a man today. She needed to leave. She needed to leave this ship and leave these pirates and just…stop playing pretend. _

_ "Where do you think you're going, missy?" growled a voice and Sora whirled around to see a man with two guns in his hands. "I saw you kill my _nakama_ back there. You think you can just run away?"_

_ Sora was speechless, and backed up, her hand still shaking. Lift your sword, she tried to tell herself. Lift it and defend yourself! _

_ "Frozen with fear?" The man's voice was deep and mocking, not caring that she was sixteen. He held up his guns. "Don't worry, I would be, too." Sora watched in slow motion as he pulled the trigger several times, bullets firing at her from mere feet away._

_ "Sora!" called a voice, and Sora felt a familiar warmth around her, and looked up to see Marco, his blue wings folded over her body protectively, shielding her from the bullets. Sora was in shock. He had just told her that she didn't belong here – why was he protecting her?_

_Marco whirled out from behind her and thrust kicked the opponent, sending him hurtling off the _Moby Dick_. Marco turned to Sora and extinguished his flames for a moment, placing a hand on her cheek and lifting her face up so their eyes met. "Do not waiver," he told her. "Show me that you are a strong woman. Protect this ship."_

_ Sora nodded, taking a deep breath, and Marco nodded his head once, his arms becoming wings once again. Sora lifted her sword with a newfound strength, aiding the Whitebeard Pirates. And Marco was right – it was a quick battle. Kaidou's ship didn't stand a chance. They sailed away with it in ruins. _

_ "Too bad Kaidou wasn't on that ship, eh?" Thatch said, cracking his neck as he moved to help his division toss bodies overboard. It had been a weak opponent – no one from the Whitebeard Pirates suffered casualties. It seemed like the other _yonkou_ was going easy on them._

_ Marco chuckled. "He'll never learn. I don't know why he just won't come at us himself. He insists on these surprise attacks."_

_ "Oy, where's Sora?" Jozu asked, glancing around to see that the dark haired girl was nowhere in sight. _

_ "I think she went downstairs," Izou answered, sighing. "She seemed a little traumatized. Both from the fight and Marco giving her a tongue lashing for no reason this morning."_

_ Marco sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, in my defense, I didn't mean to sound _that _mean to her. I just wanted to her to get angry and punch me with her power or something, that's all."_

_Izou just raised an eyebrow. "Sounded pretty convincing to me."_

_Marco rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I'll bring her dinner tonight and apologize."_

_ Izou chuckled, patting him on the shoulder as he walked past him to help his division. "How cute. That phoenix fruit of yours may keep you _looking _twenty-five, but remember that's still about a _ten _year_ _difference," he teased, and Marco rolled his eyes. _

_ Sora sat in her hammock. She had showered already, washing off the blood and sweat from today. Today, she had killed people. Sure, she had seen people die before – pirates often did come to her town – but she had never took the life of another human being. It was as though during that fight she lost consciousness and forgot who she was; the only thing that mattered was the battle at hand. _

_ She brushed her long hair, thinking of Ken. Ken always told her that he liked her hair long. It was why she kept it that way and never tied it, or cut it. She liked when Ken praised her. Admittedly, it did get hot, and sometimes, it did get in the way of her spars, but she couldn't imagine cutting it._

_ But everything now seemed so new. Marco's blue cotton shirt was a little loose for her, as usual, but she had learned to make due. They were comfortable clothes. She just rolled up the sleeves and tied a belt around the waist. She wore loose pants everyday and always had to keep pulling them up. Sora was also barefoot all the time, too – she didn't have shoes to fit her – but she didn't care. _

_ Sora sighed. Marco had yelled at her today – called her a weak child. Those words, though at the time it didn't seem like it, really cut her deep. Was she a weak child because she didn't want to use the devil fruit powers? Did that make her naïve? She swallowed a lump in her throat, remembering his warmth when he shielded her from death. She remembered the feel of his hand on her cheek when he told her to be strong, and she remembered really, honestly feeling that way as she took on the assailants from Kaidou's crew. It was the first time since she set off from Arashi Island that she actually felt strong._

_ She shook her head. Why did this even matter? Why was she getting all worked up over a couple words some blonde haired pirate said in the midst of battle? She sighed. It did matter. She knew that a lot of time passed by – maybe a month or two, even – and a part of her actually…enjoyed being around these people. She was disgusted with herself. A prospective marine enjoying being around pirates? It was laughable._

_ Sora stood up, her hands balled into fists. There was something she needed to do._

_ Marco stood at the bar table at all the food, looking around to see what kind of things Sora would want to eat tonight. The crew was celebrating their win today, the dining hall filled with food and beer, laughter ringing through the air. He wondered if Sora was lonely in the cabins by herself. She stayed there every night during dinner and Marco knew how loud they could be. He wished she would just join in._

_ He had begun to notice some time ago that whenever he brought her something with cheese, she always ate all of it. So he picked out some sandwiches and pasta and salad, piling it onto a plate to bring to cabin. Sora normally just ate, and by the time they other division commanders went up to their cabin, they always found her sleeping._

_ "Oy, can I grab that?" Marco said, returning to his normal table with his _nakama_, gesturing to the block of cheese as he looked at the plate to see where there was room. Sora was definitely going like this—_

_ "No, because I'm going to eat that," Sora said, grabbing the cheese and taking a bite out of it. Marco had to double take. Was Sora eating dinner with them? "Oy, is that for me?" she asked, and stood up, taking the plate from Marco and slamming it down in front of her, clapping her hands together, and _smiling_. Marco had never seen her smile like that – dimples creasing her cheeks, the smile reaching her eyes._

_ The division commanders seemed a little surprised as well, Thatch slapping Sora on the back. "Finally able to break bread with us pirates, eh?" he teased, ruffling her hair._

_ "Well I guess technically I'm not _breaking _bread, I'm just eating it with cheese, and that doesn't matter anyway, because I'm still going to kill all of you one day," she teased, swirling noodles around her fork and shoveling the food into her mouth. The other division commanders just laughed. Did she just make a joke?_

_ "Well, you gonna sit down or just stare?" Izou asked, raising an eyebrow at Marco._

_ "Why are you eating with us?" Marco asked, confused. She was so virulent around not having any meals with any of the pirates, and now she was eating like she was a starved animal. Food was flying everywhere._

_ Sora swallowed. "You want me to leave?"_

_ Marco smiled, and sat down, saying the one word Sora wanted to hear: "No."_

* * *

**Reviews are appreciated. I'd like to know what people think :] Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14: The Beach

_"Marry me."_

_ Takamune Kenjiro looked at the eleven-year-old girl sitting beside him. "What?"_

_ Sora grinned, brushing her hair from her face. They were sitting on their sparring grounds after Ken had beat her again. She had a bandage of her forehead, her legs crossed under her small body. "Before you leave for the marines! Marry me."_

_ Ken scoffed, shaking his head, his shoulder length hair swaying with the motion. "Definitely not. You're way too young and weak for me," he teased, ruffling her hair again. She frowned, having just fixed it two seconds ago._

_ But the little girl didn't give up. "Okay. Well, when I get older and stronger, will you marry me?"_

_ Even though he was five years older than her, Ken couldn't resist. He had grown up with this girl – she was his best friend in the entire world. "Okay, fine," Ken said, grinning. He patted her on the head. "When you're older and stronger, we'll get married."_

"Beach day!" Ace heard someone yelling at his door. "Beach dayyyyyy! Beach! Day! Beach! Day!"

Ace rolled over, inhaling through his nose as he struggled to open his eyes. He glanced at his bed and wondered what he was doing looking at his own bed, and then remembered that the past couple of days he had been staying in Sora's bed since she was always cold. Ace saw Kohaku at the door, practically bursting from his skin.

"What?" Ace said, his voice scratchy as he sat up. How early was it? He looked around, noticing that Sora wasn't there anymore. She always woke up earlier than him and he always tried to get her to go back to sleep. She'd just pat him on the head, tell him she had to work, and go downstairs.

It'd been a few days since their spar. Ace had kept her company for most of the day, as Eiichi told her to just rest as he could see her burns. Ace had dimmed down the strength of his flames, so they were only first-degree burns, but he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She had healed rather quickly though, and was back and working before he knew it.

"It's beach day!" Kohaku yelled as though he hadn't been obvious enough what today was.

"Beach day? You're on an island. It's beach day everyday," Ace sighed, falling back to bed. "Tell me how it goes."

"But it's beach day! You have to be there!" Kohaku insisted, bounding over to Ace's bed. He jumped on it, causing the mattress to squeak desperately, and Ace to bounce.

"Wraaaah!" Ace cried, leaping out of bed to tackle Kohaku and sweep the kid off the bed. He threw Kohaku over his shoulder effortlessly as the boy giggled and squirmed. Ace didn't bother putting on a shirt, just marching out of his room with the eleven year old over his shoulder. "Taking out the trash!"

"Hey!" Kohaku said through laughter.

When Ace reached the bottom of the stairs he was surprised to find some of the other division commanders dressed in swim trunks. "Where're you guys going?" Ace asked, ignoring the flailing child on his shoulder.

"The beach," Thatch answered, chuckling. "Kohaku should have told you."

"Can't we go to the beach whenever?"

Marco shrugged. "Yes, but Sora and _Oyaji_ are going, too. All the division commanders and some of our men and villagers are going to be there. It's kind of a big thing."

"Sora's going?"

"She's already there," Marco told Ace. "We're going surfing – you should come."

Ace had never been surfing before. "Oh, okay."

"Yeah, _Aneki _asked me to come get you," Kohaku said. Ace turned at that, his interest piqued. She had asked about him?

"Hmm?"

"Yeah, she told me to wake up the shitty division commander before he missed out on drowning. She said she wants a good laugh," Kohaku teased, and Ace rolled his eyes. That definitely sounded like something she would say.

"Oy, she let you say 'shitty'?" Ace asked, wondering if an eleven year old should be cussing.

"She lets him drink sake," Thatch laughed, waving Ace off. "Just hurry up and get ready."

Ace dropped Kohaku to the wood, the boy landing with a hard thud. "Okay then. I'll just meet you guys down there."

Thatch just shrugged. "See you soon then." With the other division commanders, they left the bar. He gestured to a key on the counter. "Oh, and Sora said to close up before you leave."

That was when Ace noticed that the bar was empty except for them. Not even Eiichi was working today. Ace just nodded, bounding up the stairs to change. He heard the front door close behind and quickly shed his cotton shorts for swim trunks, grabbing a towel out of his bag. He wondered what was so special about this 'beach day'. The bar had never closed in the few weeks he had been here.

Ace flicked off the lights, snatched up the key and left, twisting the lock behind him. It was a beautiful day outside, as it had been since he had come here. The sky was a nice light blue, and the sun beat down on Ace's back, warming the flame user as he headed to the beach. He felt the sharp contours of rocks under his feet, as he wasn't wearing slippers of any kind, but he didn't mind.

His _nakama _were indeed on the beach, the white sand accentuating the crisp azure waves lapping on the shores. Whitebeard himself had even pulled out a rather giant beach chair and was lounging in the sun, drinking from a bowl of sake. Ace spotted Marco and Thatch and caught up to them.

"That was quick," Izou said, raising an eyebrow. His hair was still neatly done, but he, too, had donned swim shorts. It was a little offsetting – Izou's delicate features, with a lean, muscular chest and arms. But Ace never really did care.

"He just wants to see _Aneki_," Kohaku teased. Ace rolled his eyes. He glanced around, but he couldn't find Sora.

"Where is she, anyway?" he asked.

"Think fast!" cried a voice behind him and Ace didn't have time to move before a weight leapt onto his back. Sora wrapped her arms around his neck and instinctively, Ace hooked her legs, carrying the woman in a piggyback. "Oh, hi," she said, resting her chin on his forehead, sticking out her legs and wiggling her toes.

"Hi there," Ace greeted, grinning. "You gonna get off so I can see you in a swimsuit or what?" He noticed that he could feel her flesh against his.

"Never," Sora said, laughing. She glanced down at Kohaku. "Oh, yeah, we have something for you. Mush!" she told Ace, pointing in the direction of Whitebeard. Ace noticed Caleb standing nearby, and knew immediately what she was talking about.

"I'm not a dog," Ace groaned, but started off towards Whitebeard anyway. "Do I have to carry you all day?" He felt Sora shrug and just chuckled. But upon reaching Caleb, she dropped off Ace's back, greeting the other man.

"We're ready to pick it up!" she told Caleb, and the man handed her the body board they had ordered for Kohaku. "Thanks!" She snatched it quickly, stuck her tongue out at Ace and sprinted back towards Kohaku.

"Hey!" Ace called after her, knowing that she was going to try and take all the credit for their gift. He raced after her also, sand flying everywhere as the two ran. Sora came to a screeching halt in front of Kohaku, and Ace had to stop his momentum, crashing into her slightly.

"This is from me!" Sora told Kohaku before Ace could speak.

The two of them watched as Kohaku's eyes lit up, his entire face becoming brighter as he gazed upon the board. It was just how Caleb described – the bottom of the board was being consumed in bright flames that tapered off into a blue, cloud-filled sky. His voice leapt up two octaves. "What?"

"Happy belated birthday," Ace said, pushing Sora aside. He took the board from Sora and handed it to Kohaku. "It's from both of us."

Kohaku grabbed the board carefully as though it were the greatest treasure in all the land. "This is awesome! Thanks, _Aniki_!"

The division commanders, Ace, and Sora all seemed a little surprised. Ace just smiled, ruffling Kohaku's hair. "Yeah. Yeah, man, no problem."

"Thank you too, _Aneki_," Kohaku told Sora, holding the board in one hand and hugging her tightly.

"Oh, yeah, you're welcome," Sora said, patting him on the head. She seemed a little shaken from Kohaku's new title for Ace: _Aniki_. It meant 'big brother'. Kohaku had only known Ace for about two weeks, while having known Marco, Thatch, Jozu, and Izou for much, much longer, Kohaku always addressed them politely by name. Up until now the same had been for Ace, but now everything was different.

The only other person that Kohaku called _Aniki _was—

"I can totally use this today, right?" Kohaku asked.

"Of course," Sora said, waving him off. "Just make sure you guys watch him," she told the division commanders, pointing a finger at each of them.

They all nodded, grinning at the woman. "Okay, go grab your stuff and we can get started. Be careful! Make sure you wear your leashes. Izou, Thatch, watch out for them okay?" Sora sounded like a mother at this moment, an odd position of responsibility, as the boys just nodded, jogging off to grab surfboards.

Sora turned to Ace. "You gonna go surfing or just keep staring at me?"

Ace grinned. He couldn't help it – 98% of this woman's body was exposed. Her skin was fair; a dashing contrast to her black bikini. Her dark hair was in waves, cascading over her shoulders and down her back. He noticed the curves of her hips, her flat sternum – and Izou was right, Ace was definitely lying when he called Sora 'small boobs'. She picked up a blue sarong off the sand nearby, tying around her waist.

Sora gestured to a rack of surfboards as she headed back towards Whitebeard with Ace following behind. "Go ahead. We're going to get started soon."

"What do you mean?" The ocean was rather flat; he didn't remember any kind of waves that they had trouble steering over while coming here and he didn't remember seeing any when he had come to the beach. How was it that people were going to surf on flat waters?

Sora looked up at her ex-captain, grinning. Marco, Thatch, Jozu, and Izou were all on the shoreline, waiting. "Ready, _Oyaji_?"

Whitebeard's rumbling laughter filled the air and he pinched a section of the air while Sora crossed her arms in an X in front of her. Simultaneously, Whitebeard pulled the atmosphere, similar to how he shattered air while creating earthquakes, and Sora swept her hands out in front of her, a gust of win bursting forth to the ocean. Ace watched as the sea became rougher, waves building. The woman let out another burst of wind to accelerate the process. Sora and Whitebeard were creating the waves.

"Wow," Ace breathed, understanding. He smiled at Sora. "You never cease to amaze me."

Sora brushed the hair out of her face, shrugging. Whitebeard sent a subtle glance down at his second division commanders, smirking slightly. "Thanks. You can go surf now."

"I don't know how."

"Why don't you teach him, Sora?" Whitebeard suggested.

Sora shook her head immediately, shying away from the idea. "I can't. I take care of the waves remember?"

Ace grinned. "Yeah, that'd be good," he said, ignoring Sora's decline.

"I'm here for a reason as well," the old man reminded Sora. He tapped Sora on the back. "Go ahead."

"No, it's okay," Sora insisted, shaking her head and backing away from the ocean. "I can't surf."

"Don't lie to my son," Whitebeard said, more thunderous laughter following. "Enjoy yourself, Sora. It shouldn't be only our vacation while we're here. Have fun for once."

"Let's go surfing!" Ace said and Sora let out a little scream as Ace swooped her up into his arms, marching towards the shoreline.

"Ace!" Sora screamed as she struggled. "Ace! Ace, let me go!"

"I want to learn how to surf," Ace told her, his feet splashing in the water.

"Ace_, _stop!" Sora cried, struggling harder than she ever had. "_Ace_!"

"I do love when you scream my name," Ace teased, wading deeper into the water. He could already feel its weakening effects, his strength beginning to be absorbed by the ocean.

"Oy," Marco called from the shore, undoing the leash around his leg. Sora hadn't been this close to the ocean in years. He watched as she screamed, having no choice but to press against Ace, wrapping her arms around his neck and lifting herself up as she tried to escape the water.

But Ace didn't hear him.

"ACE!" Sora cried, feeling water splash against her body. "Let me go!"

"Teach me how to surf," Ace said, grinning. "It looks fun."

"Marco can teach you! Please, Ace, let me go back to shore." Marco could hear the desperation in her voice, and made a move to step forward, the rest of the division commanders staring in shock. If she fell into the ocean, there was no telling what could happen. There was a reason why a pirate would end up hating the sea.

"I want you," Ace told her. They were in waist-deep water.

"No!"

"Yes?" Ace asked, turning his ear to her.

"_NO_!" Sora screamed as loud as she could.

"Wrong answer," Ace said, and pulled his arms out from under her. Sora let out a yelp as she plummeted into the water.

Marco froze. Ace was in trouble. Sora was going to—

"I hate you!" Sora screamed when she burst up, drenched. She splashed Ace with water, _laughing_. The division commanders exchanged glances. She took off her sarong, as it was now soaked, and smacked Ace in the face with it, splashing him again before trying to wade back to shore. Even from the distance, Marco could see a smile on her face.

"Not so fast," the flame user called, grabbing her from behind and using all his strength to fling her back into the water. She dropped with a big splash, Ace shielding himself from the water.

Sora burst up again, running at Ace at full speed. Or, well, it looked like she was trying to do so. The ocean was already weakening her, and the water and sand were also dense enough to slow her down. Ace burst out laughing, and moved into the tackle, using her momentum to sweep her off her feet and over his shoulder.

"Portgas D. Ace!" Sora laughed, trying to squirm out of his arms. Her breathing was becoming heavier; the sea was taking its toll on her.

"You rang?" Ace called, and then grew tired again, so collapsed in the water, bringing Sora with him. They both burst up laughing, Sora splashing him with seawater. She waded out of the water, only to have Ace tackle her from behind and drag her to her knees again as she tried to leave the ocean.

"Aceeeeee," Sora groaned, crawling onto the sand. Her body felt like a thousand pounds. "Aceeee, let goooo!" Ace was holding onto her waist, so not only was she dragging herself, but also dragging a weakened Ace. She collapsed into the sand, rolling with the wave as it washed the shore. She slid a little as the waves receded, breathing hard.

"That was fun," Ace said through breaths, trying to stand up. Covered in sand, he moved two steps on his knees and dropped onto Sora's stomach. The woman let out a cry of pain, unable to move as more waves washed over her body, dragging her closer to the sea as they waned.

Sora exerted all her strength to push him off, tired from laughing and the effects of the ocean. "Ace, stop it," she said, giggling as he flopped onto the sand. She pushed herself up and started towards Whitebeard.

"Teach meeeeee," Ace called, hugging her ankles. Sora dropped to the sand again, prying her legs from Ace's grasp.

"Oh, stop, you big baby. As one of the boys to teach you," Sora said, standing up again. Ace made exasperated grunting sounds but Sora didn't budge. The division commanders tried their best not to stare in shock. Four years and not a toe in the ocean, but Ace can throw her in and tackle her in the sand and not get an earful? It was a feat.

"Why are you being so lame?" Ace asked, his shoulders slumping. "I wanna hang out with you."

"Then stay on shore and be bored," Sora said, shrugging as she sat in the sand next to Whitebeard.

"But we could go out and surf if you would just teach me," Ace tried to reason. He brushed his wet hair from his face. "Come on, old woman, let's go."

"Old? Definitely not," she replied, laughing. She leaned back on her arms. "Go have fun with the boys. I'm gonna dry off."

Ace sighed. "Fine. Whatever." He stalked off, shaking his head, grabbing a surfboard off the rack as he passed. He caught up with Marco as the other division commanders waded into the ocean to start paddling out.

"You are perhaps just as stubborn as he is," Whitebeard commented, watching his sons in the ocean.

"What? Me?" Sora asked, looking at her ex-captain.

Whitebeard nodded. "He obviously enjoys time with you – why don't you just do him and do yourself a nice favor and spend time with him?"

Sora scoffed, shaking her head. She tilted her head to wring out her hair. "That's not true," she said, averting her eyes. Her voice quieted. "Because _Oyaji_, really, who would enjoy hanging out with me? He just thinks I'm a pretty face, that's all. It's the chase – he'll just get bored eventually." She wasn't sure if she even believed those words. Ace had been so genuine until now. Why was she saying all of this?

"You are a pretty face," he said, looking down at her. "But do not underestimate my son. He is just like you – he would not do something should his whole heart not be in it. If the boy honestly likes to be around you, just let him. Let those walls of yours down."

Sora was quick to come back. "But—"

"I know. I am just advising that you not write Ace off. He makes you happy, doesn't he?"

Sora didn't answer, just concentrated on focusing her eyes to the sea, where Marco and Thatch had already caught waves. Ace was sitting on his board idly, watching and cheering his friends on. Whitebeard smiled, patting his daughter on the head. "Skies are blue, Sora. Haven't you noticed?"

She did notice. With the _Kaze Kaze no Mi _and her _haki_, Sora was able to unconsciously control the weather – but only that directly overhead – and was therefore able to alter the weather on Arashi Island. Arashi Island didn't have hurricanes anymore because Sora was there controlling the wind. Most days she stayed in because she had to focus on trying not to bring rain or storms as normally, that was how she was feeling. It was so difficult to hide her feelings, especially when it manifested in the form of a physical hurricane that could devastate the people she dedicated her life to protect.

But skies were blue. She didn't need to focus on keeping the rain away – she was just happy. And the weather reflected this. On beach days, she normally had even more work because she had to blow the clouds away, but today, she didn't need to do anything.

_ She was happy._

Was it because of Ace? Sora didn't know. She didn't want to know. She couldn't let herself become vulnerable again.

"Give him a chance," Whitebeard continued. "You will be pleasantly surprised of what kind of man he will prove to be."

Sora scoffed quietly, shaking her head as though she didn't believe Whitebeard. But she knew that a tiny part of her heart – just a sliver – did believe that Ace could be everything she wanted and needed and longed for again. But she couldn't let herself succumb to his warmth, to his voice, his freckles, to _him_. She'd just end up losing everything.

It was like Whitebeard could read her mind. The old man knew the mannerisms of his old second division commander – she was guarded and would never admit anything on her own, ever. He just needed to get her to the point where she could at least admit to herself that there was something real between her and Ace. Everyone could feel it – everyone could feel their chemistry. "Tell me honestly, Sora. That night you spent with Ace at the carnival – how was it?"

Sora couldn't lie to her captain – even if he was a former captain. "Fun," she said quietly.

"How long did it take him to get you to go?"

"Like, two minutes."

"And for how many years has everyone else ask you to go to the carnival? How many times have you rejected them?"

Sora was quiet at this. Damn Whitebeard for knowing her so well. "It was just a deal because we split for Kohaku's gift. That's all."

"I hear there's a second date as well, though."

"Is he telling you this stuff?"

Whitebeard just laughed at this. "He may have bragged about it a few times."

Sora rolled her eyes. "Oh, jeez. That kid, I swear."

"See? Stop trying to make him into this person that we both know he is not. He is not the kind of man to try to win over a woman did he not want her completely. Remember that." Sora just nodded slightly, and Whitebeard gestured to the ocean. "Now go keep him company. He's bored."

Sora turned her eyes to the ocean again, and Ace was still watching his friends – and Kohaku, even – ride waves, while he just watched, sitting on his board with his feet dangling in the water. Sora sighed, standing up, heading back towards the ocean.

Whitebeard smiled, watching his only daughter go. Sora ran away from a lot of things, especially the way she felt. Emotions were never her strong point – she just hid them with laughter and jokes. Whitebeard knew she needed the extra push to encourage her to bring down those walls of hers and let another man into her life – to be happy – and as her father, as her captain, he wanted nothing but her happiness.

"You're really lame and your muscles don't look any better wet. They look flabby," said a voice, and Ace turned to see Sora, shifting so that she was sitting on a short board.

"Uh, I guess you're the only one that thinks so because I'm pretty sure that _fishes_ would hit on me right now. I would make mermaids squeal," Ace bragged teasingly, flexing his arms and grinning at Sora as she laughed. Ace smiled, obviously trying to hide his excitement. "What're you doing out here anyway, small boobs? Don't you have drying off to do? You know, since I made you wet and everything," he added with a wink.

Sora made a face. "Oh, you're so gross. Stop talking."

"Gonna teach me how to surf?" Ace said with a grin.

"Maybe. Or I'll just laugh while you drown. Kohaku did tell you I wanted a good laugh today right?"

"Oh, ha, ha," Ace said sarcastically. "Come on, you teach me how to surf real fast, and I'll show you something super cool."

"Oh, I'm so intrigued, please, Ace, let me see this cool thing you're planning on showing me, for if not, I will perish," Sora replied just as dryly, giggling afterwards. Ace just rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Let's go." She laid on her board stomach-down, paddling towards the next wave.

"Okay, how do I do it?" Ace called, paddling after her.

"Just stand up when the wave comes."

"How do I stand up?"

Sora looked back at him. "Well, I don't know, you've been doing it your whole life. Unless you've just crawled on dirt," she teased, giggling. "Okay, ah, just watch okay?"

The next wave came in, and Sora pushed herself up with her upper body, sweeping her legs under her. She kept her knees bent and her arms out slightly to maintain balance. She caught the wave easily, navigating it effortlessly, slicing through the water. She floated back to Ace afterwards. "Okay, now you try."

"If I fall, I'm going to die. Because one, I can't swim. Two, you can't swim. Three, even if you could swim, you'd just laugh."

Sora chuckled at this, shaking her head as though this were not the truth. "That's why you put the leash on. And I'm here, so you know, you'll never drown. That's another reason why I normally just watch."

"What?"

"Wind pressure," Sora explained. "If I can time it right, I can let someone hover a little if they eat it during the wave. So there's an extra few seconds to gather yourself before you fall. You can catch the board. And it always floats, so it should be fine. You're gonna let a little surfing kill you?"

"Tch, please," Ace bragged, waving her off like he had been doing this his whole life. "I'm never going to die."

Sora laughed. "How unfortunate for me."

Ace frowned. "Too mean."

"Sorry, studly," she replied with a giggle.

Ace paddled out, trying to mimic Sora. She giggled when he fell several times, and made sure to catch him with her wind when he did. He grabbed his board before dropping into the sea, and Sora watched carefully to make sure that he came up again. If he didn't come up within three seconds, Sora felt her heart race, but Ace always broke the surface every time he fell. She thought he would give up, but he just kept trying, shouting back to her to ask if he was doing okay before slipping and falling into the sea again.

"I'm tired," Ace breathed, lying on his board. Sora laughed as she caught the tip of his board, pulling him closer to her. He rolled over carefully so that he was on his back, and grinned up at Sora. "But thanks for coming out to help after all."

Sora nodded and shrugged at the same time. "Yeah. Well, today is supposed to be fun, right?"

"Fun for everyone. Including you," Ace said, sitting up.

"It was fun for me to watch you fail."

"Ha," Ace scoffed. "You forgot that I have something awesome to show you, huh?"

Marco, Thatch, Jozu, Izou, and Kohaku all watched from some distance away. "That's very interesting," Izou said, voicing his thoughts aloud. Ace had grabbed Sora's hands and was trying to pull her off the board while she laughed and tightened her legs around her board, trying to pull Ace off his own board. "Are you okay?" The question was directed at Marco, who stopped paying attention, and was trying to find a good wave.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the sixteenth division commander. "I'm not the kind of man to get in the way of a woman's happiness." He paddled away from them, pushing himself up on the board as the next wave rolled in.

Izou sighed exasperatedly. "What do you think, Kohaku?"

The youngest person shrugged. He was resting now, as body boarding was quite tiring without fins. He'd definitely do more chores around the bar so Sora would give him more money to buy some. "I don't know. _Aneki _smiles more and the skies are always clear now. If she's happy, then that's good, right?"

Izou nodded. "Does Ace remind you of Ken?"

Physically, their resemblance was uncanny. When looking at Ace, Izou could see Ken's face grinning back at him. The only thing that was different was the color and length of their hair. Their personalities were quite similar as well, that same cheery, laid-back attitude that meshed with Sora's weird one so well.

"No," Kohaku answered, shaking his head. This answer surprised the division commanders and they exchanged glances, waiting for the kid's explanation. "I mean, I guess they kinda look alike and act the same sometimes. But it doesn't make it okay to think they're the same person."

"So, if Sora was hanging out with Ace so much because he looks like Ken?" Thatch asked, trailing off.

Kohaku shook his head. "Then that's wrong. You'd have to tell her to not hang out with him. Like, if that's the only reason for her to hang out with him then she should probably not hang out with him at all."

"Why wouldn't you tell her?"

Kohaku's answer was simple, "She wouldn't listen to me." He smiled at the older men. "I like _Aneki _with Ace – she's happy and I haven't really seen her smile like that in a long time. But it wouldn't be fair to Ace if _Aneki_ could only see Ken right?"

Izou nodded. The boy was a lot smarter and observant than he expected. He had a strong sense of morale – perhaps one day this child would grow to become a great marine strong enough to challenge the Whitebeard Pirates. He turned back to Sora and Ace to see that Sora was now sitting by herself, neither Ace or his board anywhere near her.

Izou glanced around. Before he could say anything to Sora, though, there was a splash coming from the _Moby Dick _that was anchored near the shore, and Izou saw Ace's Striker floating in the water. It was a device he made for travel, powered by the flames from the _Mera Mera no Mi_. He had pulled off the sail, however, and leapt from the deck down into the machine. Flames exploded from around his feet, powering the engine behind him and he propelled himself to were Sora was, spinning to a stop so water would splash in her face. She shielded herself from water, laughing.

"What are you bitching about, this is pretty much like surfing," she laughed, gazing at the bright yellow mini-ship.

Ace held out his hand. "But much better."

Sora shook her head. "I'm not gonna ride that thing."

"What's up with your irrational fear of riding stuff? Come on, it's totally safe," Ace assured her, not lowering his hand. Sora still didn't move. Ace could tell, though, from the sparkle in her eyes that she did want to try it out. "You trust me, right?"

Sora's eyes locked with his at that comment, narrowing slightly as she smirked. Ace had won again. "What about the board?"

"I'll drop it off on the ship," Ace told her, and Sora took his hand. She stepped carefully onto the nose of the Striker. Ace pulled her into him quickly, lifting her so that she was sitting on his shoulders. Surprised with the sudden motion, Sora wrapped her arms around Ace's face, tightening her legs around his neck. "Woah!" he choked, wobbling. He regained his balance, moving her arms and smiling. He scooped up Sora's board from the sea. "Ready?"

Sora didn't have time to answer as Ace shot forward, eliciting a small squeal and wrapping her fingers around locks of Ace's hair as he flew towards the _Moby Dick_. He stuffed the board into the compartment where his Striker had been stored. "You okay up there, small boobs?" Ace asked Sora, squeezing her ankles.

"Yes. I'm always okay," Sora said, but Ace could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"Don't worry. Let daddy take you on a ride." Sora punched the top of Ace's head playfully, but the man just laughed. "Gimme a big wave, small boobs."

Sora grinned, holding her hands out in front of her, Ace looking up to see her long, delicate fingers wiggling. "As you wish." She lifted her arms so they were above Ace's head, rubbed her hands together briefly, separated them for a second, and simply clapped. Ace felt the rush of wind, however, flying out from her body, and he watched it cut the sea, aiding in forming the beginnings of a nice wave. Sora seemed to be stirring the wind and rested her arms on Ace's head again after she was done, proud of her work. "You sure we're not going to die?"

Ace watched the wave approaching, a wall of blue moving in. He shrugged playfully. "I guess we'll see."

"Ace!" Sora cried, but it was too late, as the man burst towards the wave. Ace dipped under it, and swept into the barrel, cutting through the ocean. He could feel droplets of water grazing his warm skin and squeezed Sora's ankle again.

"Open your eyes," Ace told Sora, and she did as she was told, her breath catching in her chest. They were inside the barrel – Sora could see the fish in the wall of water beside her. She reached out to touch them, her fingers slicing through the wave. She pulled back, laughing, keeping her eyes open as Ace exited the barrel, spinning to a halt once again.

"Cool," Sora said, and Ace could just imagine the childish grin on her face as she swirled her fingers through his ebony hair. She created another wave without needing to have been asked, and Ace grinned, flames bursting around his feet again.

They spent the rest of the afternoon this way, cutting waves and soaring across the ocean at high speeds. Sora's laughter cold be heard all over the beach and the villagers and crewmen alike couldn't help but be affected by her joy. The sun seemed to set so fast, however, and many people retreated back to their homes for dinner. The division commanders left to get cleaned up before they shared a meal at the Sky Pub, and only Ace and Sora remained under the orange sky.

"Wanna go in for dinner?" Sora asked Ace, covering his eyes gently with her hands.

"Yeah, sure," Ace said, and Sora lifted her hands off his eyes. Dimming down his flames, Ace directed his Striker back to shore smoothly. He let Sora off his shoulders, rolled his shoulder blades back to stretch out, and hopped off, dragging the Striker onto the sand.

"Don't you have to put that back on the ship?" Sora asked, collapsing onto the sand. She was still a little wet, so grains of white sand stuck to her body and clung to her hair. But it didn't matter, she didn't care. Her face was a little sore from laughing today. She was glad that she had taken Whitebeard's advice and gone to keep Ace company.

"Yeah, I'll do it later," Ace said, shrugging. He plopped down besides her, burying his feet in the sand. "Had fun today?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Sora answered, smiling at Ace. "Thanks."

They sat in silence for a little, admiring the sunset. They watched as the bright yellow sun slowly descended into the ocean, rays of light shooting out and coloring the sky. Stars were starting to appear as well, twinkling dimly in comparison with the sun. The waves lapped peacefully, quietly, onto the shore as though not wanting to disrupt the tranquility of sunset. Well at least Sora was admiring the sunset.

Ace was admiring Sora, her skin like fire in the silhouette of the setting sun, her hair billowing gently in the wind. He could see her eyes, almost gold, sparkling brightly as she watched her surroundings. Ace felt the breath catch in his chest – how was it possible that this woman could become more beautiful every day?

"What?" Sora's voice broke the silence. She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you keep staring at me? What's up?"

Ace shrugged, grinning. "Nothing," he said, and was going to leave it at that. But she smiled again, her dimples creasing her face, and then he changed his mind. "Actually, I lied. I was, ah, just thinking about how beautiful you are."

Sora seemed surprised by his answer. "Oh. Thanks, I guess," was all she could really say. "You look nice also."

"And," Ace added, closing the distance between them. He brought his hand to her face, brushing the hair from it and tilting her head up so their eyes were locked. "I was also wondering how it would feel to kiss you."

"Oh, really?" she said quietly, mockingly. She allowed Ace to move closer, and he was aware that at any moment he could drown in her big blue eyes, but he still wanted there to be as little space between them as possible.

"Yeah, really."

"You know, you've never actually just asked," Sora said, smirking.

"Asked?"

"Yeah, you've said, 'why won't you kiss me' and 'we can kiss now', but you've never actually just asked the question," Sora explained.

Ace hoped she couldn't feel his heart racing. He needed to keep confident, despite his racking anxiety. He was nervous. He never needed to ask before. "So, Sora, can I kiss you?" His voice was quiet, and deep, smooth like velvet, and the feel of his breath so close to Sora sent shivers running down her spine.

"I guess."

Ace's finger tilted her chin up so that their lips were aligned. "I need a yes or a no," he said with a smirk.

"I don't know," was Sora's answer and Ace saw in her eyes for one moment: fleeting doubt. This really did mean a lot to her. Ace's lips closed the distance between them, and he felt Sora wince slightly, but instead of kissing her lips, he lifted his face and just kissed her forehead.

"Well, then, you let me know when it's a yes," Ace said, kissing her head again. He stood up, and held his hand out, grinning down at Sora. "Come on, small boobs, let's go grab food. I'm starving."

Sora took his hand and pulled herself up, but didn't move when Ace started to move. Ace turned to see the woman's eyes locked on the sand. "Ace, I-I'm sorry, I—"

"What're you sorry about?" he asked gently, pulling her into a hug. Her body was cold, as usual, but he soon felt her temperature match his. "I'm not mad or anything."

She spoke into his chest, her voice quiet. "Yeah, but, I-I said to ask – and I didn't—"

"I did ask," Ace said, pulling away and looking her in the eye. "And it's okay. Just let me know when it's a yes, and I'm gonna come kiss the crap out of you."

Sora giggled at that, and nodded. "Okay," she answered simply. She paused for a moment. "I…don't know when that will be. Or if it'll even…" she trailed off. Damn, she was stupid. Saying something like that to Ace and then not pulling through with their kiss. Now, after all of that, she was answering honestly? She knew she was messed up.

But Ace shrugged. "Don't worry, small boobs, I'll wait forever. Now come on, let's go grab food," he said and Sora felt her chest tighten at his words. _I'll wait forever._

She just smiled, following him up the sand. "Okay."


	15. Chapter 15:  My Greatest Treasure

**EIGHT YEARS AGO**

_ Sora took a deep breath, pushing open the door. She was greeted with the bright rays of the sun and the familiar sound of the _Moby Dick _cutting through the sea. _

_ "Oy," greeted Marco. He was sitting on the deck, leaning against the railing. He yawned, stretching his shoulder blades back. He stood up, placing a hand on Sora's head. "You had a good night's sleep?"_

_ Sora nodded. She had passed out the moment she hit her hammock last night, so stuffed from all the food at dinner. The division commanders were impressed with how much the small girl could eat – she had a bottomless stomach but didn't gain a pound._

_ "Want to practice or no?" he offered with a grin._

_ Sora nodded again and they shifted decks, Sora pulling her sword from her sheath. She could see it becoming a little dull. So could Marco. He lifted the blade slightly, examining it. "We'll get this sharpened later," he said, ruffling her hair again. Sora had gotten used to Marco always touching her hair – it actually made her feel a little closer to him._

_ Not that it mattered._

_ As soon as Marco set a stance, Sora charged him, whipping her blade across his chest. Marco was faster and leapt out of the way, lifting his arm to block another strike. He figured she was going to slash again like how she normally did but before he could even move, he was on the ground._

_ Sora leapt back, holding her blade out in front of her. Marco rubbed his jaw, feeling it ache slightly. "Did you just hit me?"_

_ Izou, who normally watched their spars in the morning, seemed extremely shocked, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. He hadn't even seen what had happened._

_ "Maybe," Sora said, smiling. She sheathed her sword and simply placed her hand on it, like how Izou had been teaching her for _Iaidou _style swords fighting._

_ Marco took a stance, beckoning at her. "Bet you can't do it again."_

_ Sora swooped towards him again, keeping low to the ground, and Marco prepped to block from below. He guarded against her strike, and pushed her back, leaping at her. He struck down, knowing too well that Sora would collide with the ground, but instead, he felt her elbow slam into his back._

_ He rolled over to see her dancing. "Oh, yeah, oh, yeah," Sora chanted, pumping her fists wiggling her body triumphantly. "Unghhhhh that's what I'm talkin' about," she teased, pulling down her lower eyelid and sticking out her tongue. Marco pushed himself off the ground, dusting his shoulders off as the younger girl danced._

_ "You should probably be more serious," Marco told her and in a second, was right in front her, arm cocked back for a punch. He saw Sora lift her hands as though that were supposed to stop a punch from the first division commander. And then he felt it. _

_ Swirling around him was wind. Sora let the wind explode around her hands, creating a sort of wall. But Marco easily punched through it, sending her flying backwards, her shoulder hitting the deck._

_ "Ow," she complained, sitting up._

_ Marco held out a hand and pulled her up with ease. "You're using your fruit," he said with a grin._

_ "What? I am most certainly not," Sora said, making a face as she pretended that she hadn't used her new powers just now. Her denial was quite cute._

_"A wind wall?" Marco asked, patting her on the head. "You know that's like making a wall of _air_, right?"_

_Sora huffed, crossing her arms. "It sounded like a good idea."_

_"How about air compression?" Marco suggested. Sora looked up at him with a puzzled expression, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Instead of spreading out the wind, why don't you just press it together? That'd make a better defensive move."_

_Sora squeezed her hands open and close, nodding. She took a stance, holding her hands out. "Okay, let me try," she told Marco._

_The blonde man smiled. "Try to stop my punch," Marco said, and launched his fist at her. Sora tried to concentrate all the wind around her to one point in her palm, trying to repel his fist, but it wasn't strong enough, and she was blown backwards again. _

_"Ugh," she groaned, rolling around on the deck._

_Marco helped her up again and smiled. "That was good. Ready to try again?"_

_Sora grinned, and nodded, setting a stance once more._

_The days went on as such, Sora being a little more open with using her powers. Marco had learned that she had hit him several times by using the wind to propel herself. "Do that only at the last second," he advised. "Once someone sees an attack coming, they unconsciously time it to prepare for a block, so if you speed it up at the last second, you can catch your opponent off guard."_

_Sora also had been applying her newfound strength into trying to get the key to the ship storage. Everyday, Sora ran at the captain of the _Moby Dick_, accelerated by wind around her ankles, but still, she could never lay a finger on the key. Her hands always fell short before Whitebeard swatted her away like an annoying summer fly._

_Applying her powers to her swordsmanship as well, Marco noticed a substantial increase in her speed and strength. She had also learned to cut the air itself. Again, however, she did try these things on Whitebeard, who merely laughed and deflected her attacks as he drank from his giant bowl of sake._

_"Cut your hair or tie it," Whitebeard told her one afternoon. Sora brushed the hair out of her face constantly, only to have it fall over her shoulders again. She was friendly towards Marco and Izou, but did not appreciate Whitebeard keeping her hostage on this ship._

_"Not a chance," she replied, glowering at the captain. She was friendly to everyone on the ship except Whitebeard. She still hadn't even introduced herself._

_"Who are you growing it out for?" he asked, a question that surprised even the division commanders? They always watched Sora trying to take the key, critiquing her technique, and then taking her back to the training deck to improve._

_Marco glanced at Sora, who also seemed to have been caught off guard by Whitebeard's question. "T-that's none of your business," she snapped._

_Whitebeard laughed heartily. "I am sure that person you are growing your hair out for is a lucky man."_

_Marco watched Sora's face visibly turn pink all over, and it seemed like steam was going to blow out of her ears. The division commanders and Whitebeard just laughed at her girlish act. _

_"Why don't you join me?" Whitebeared asked. The division commanders smiled at that idea, gazing at the younger girl hopefully. They wanted to keep her on the ship as a nakama. "Maybe you will be able to meet that man again someday."_

_"I'm going to become a marine," Sora replied immediately. "That's how I'm going to meet with him again."_

_And that was that. Every time Sora tried to capture the key and failed, Whitebeard would offer her to become a part of the crew, and she would decline, stating that her goal was to become a marine. _

_"Oy, Sora," Marco called one morning. Sora was foling paper cranes with Izou, using her wind to make them float in the air and fly around the ship. She had been doing this for a few days now, making a crane for every single crewmate and sending it to them via wind. Men on the ship had actually grown quite fond of Sora. She was funny, and cute, and had the appetite of a starved animal, which the men thought was quite hilarious._

_"Hmm?" she asked, looking up at Marco. She was dressed in one of his shirts again, with the sleeves rolled up. It was quite big on her, though, and the pants she was wearing were also a little big. She didn't seem to mind, however, and looked comfortable, like she was wearing pajamas at all times of the day._

_"_Oyajii_ wants to talk to you," he said, pointing a thumb to the upper deck. Again with that title. But Sora didn't say anything, standing up and following Marco to the captain. She hadn't tried to grab the key today. She wondered if he was going to ask if she gave up and then ask her to join the crew again._

_"What?" Sora snapped, crossing her arms over her chest when she reached the giant pirate. He picked something out of his coat pocket and tossed it at her. Sora quickly caught it, noticing that it was light. She stared at it. There were at least hundreds of thousands of Beli messily clipped together._

_"We will be reaching another island shortly. Go and buy yourself some new clothes. It is unnatural for a young woman to be walking around barefoot in a man's clothes."_

_Sora was completely speechless. Marco watched her, smiling slightly as she struggled for words. Just by scanning the size of the wad of money, Marco could tell there was at least 100,000,000 Beli in her hands; probably more money than she had ever seen in her life. "You can't bribe me," Sora said, her voice faltering a little. "Just because you're paying for my clothes doesn't mean I'll join you. I'm still going to take that key from you and become a marine."_

_Whitebeard nodded, waving her off. "Go. Marco will be leading an advance so you may accompany him to the island first," Whitebeard instructed. He saw a light spark in Sora's eyes - she was going to be on dry land! "There is no marine base on this island," he informed her, watching her spirits fall._

_ "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," Marco assured his captain with a grin. He opened his arm, Sora coming to his side, feeling Marco's limb drape over her shoulders. "Come on, let's go."_

_ Sora hopped into a small ship with Marco and a few men from his division. Izou also wanted to come along, and Thatch as well, so they brought some of their division. "You know, joining the crew wouldn't be that bad," Izou suggested, grinning. "It would be fun to have you travel with us."_

_ "I can't," Sora said, keeping her eyes in front of her. _

_ "You should think about it," Thatch said, standing at her side. _

_ Sora just hummed in some kind of pending agreement, brushing Thatch off. These people were her friends, yes, but she couldn't call them _nakama _– she couldn't become a pirate. She needed to become a marine and catch up with Ken. It was the only way for her to see him. She had waited five long years to chase after her dream – to meet with him again._

_ Marco just watched from the side, wondering what it was about this girl that made her so interesting. She was well liked by the crew because of her outgoing personality, but at times she was distant and caged herself in. Marco rubbed the bridge of his nose. She was so intriguing, it was hard _not _to think about her._

_ They reached the island, a small suburban patch of land. They anchored their ship, pulling down their sails and made their way to the shore, Sora sitting quietly in the dinghy some crewmen were rowing. Marco sat her side, noticing that she was a little tense, wringing her hands together. She rolled up her pants, hopping into the shallow waters as the boat got closer, feeling a little weak as she made her way to the sand. The heavy feeling disappeared as soon as her feet left the water and she turned back, waiting for Marco. She was a little annoyed that she had to be babysitted, but she understood the situation._

_ Marco patted her on the head. "Go ahead. Just be back here by sunset."_

_ "I thought you're going to keep an eye on me," Sora said, crossing her arms over her chest. _

_ "You're not a kid. Do your own thing. I'll be around, so just find me if you need anything. We're going to go shop for food supplies and such, dinner will be had on the main ship," Marco told her, smiling. Sora still didn't move. What if this was a trick? He seemed to sense her hesitation and added, "Go. I trust you."_

_ Sora seemed surprised by his words, blinking at him for a moment before smiling, dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Thanks. I'll be back."_

_ "See you for dinner," Marco said, waving as she headed up the sand to the village._

_ "Oy, stop hitting on her; she's sixteen," Izou teased, shoving Marco playfully as they dragged the dinghy up the beach away from the ocean. _

_ "I'm not hitting on her," Marco defended, rolling his eyes._

_ "Whatever," Izou sighed. "She's cute, but that's just the thing, Marco, she's just _cute_. And you heard her – she already has a man."_

_ Marco scoffed as though he didn't care but the truth was that he was very interested in who this person was. It seemed like she wanted to be a marine so badly for this person and always let her long hair get in the way of her fighting because she was keeping it that way for him. He agreed with his captain – the man she was waiting for surely was quite lucky._

_ Sora brushed the sand off her bare feet, feeling the pavement hot under her feet. She hopped from foot to foot, glancing around as she entered the town. Shoes come first. She quickly darted under awnings to the shade so the soles of her feet wouldn't burn off, reading shop names as she passed._

_ She was surprised that Marco had let her go without supervision. Sure, she wasn't a kid, but she was technically a hostage on Whitebeard's ship. How did he know she wasn't going to run away? Sora sighed. Not like there was anywhere she could go. The money Whitebeard gave her was enough for new clothes, but not anywhere near enough for a ship to get her all the way to Marineford, or another island. She needed to get the _Kairoseki _coating as well and that would cost a lot of money, too. She was better off just buying clothes and waiting._

_ She ducked into a shoe store, and the owner greeted her with a friendly smile. "Good afternoon, miss," she said. She glanced down at Sora's bare feet and came out from behind the counter. "Looking for anything in particular?"_

_ "Um, just something comfortable," she said, and the owner looked Sora up and down briefly, and then at the shelves. _

_ She smiled. "I think I have something for you."_

_ Sunset came a lot faster than expected. Marco had been with Izou and Thatch for most of the day, buying supplies and looking around the stores. No one dared to say anything about them being from the Whitebeard Pirates, but the men were polite and paid for everything they bought. It wasn't like they didn't have the money._

_ Izou glanced at a clock in a clothing store they were in. "We should go meet Sora," he said, noticing that outside, the sky had turned orange. "She's probably heading over to the beach, if she didn't try to run away. It was sweet that you let her off on her own, Marco, but if she did really leave, I'm going to be broken hearted."_

_ Izou pushed open the door, thanking the owner as they left the shop. Marco chuckled. "I don't think she did—"_

_ "Hey, guys," said a voice, and the division commanders looked up. Sora had been walking by, and smiled upon seeing the pirates. She was dressed in a black bikini, contrasting against her very fair skin, accentuating her now very obvious chest. Her hair was slightly curled, cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Her belly was flat and she had on a pair of gray shorts that followed the curves of her hips. Sora's new knee-high heeled boots, showed off her lean legs. She was carrying several multicolored bags all form today's shopping adventure. With a body like that, she did not look sixteen._

_ "I take back what I said earlier," Izou whispered to Marco, even _his_ eyes outlining Sora's new look. She was definitely not "just cute" anymore. _

_ "Is this okay?" Sora asked, looking down at herself nervously as the division commanders could only stare. "Should I buy something else? It's always so hot, I just thought—"_

_ "No," Izou said immediately, feeling like he was speaking for his _nakama _as well. "You are _very_ sexy."_

_ Sora giggled. "Thanks, I guess," she said. "Marco's clothes aren't exactly flattering." She realized what she had said and held up her hands, shaking them, her bags rustling. "No, I-I mean, not flattering on me! Not on me, I mean, I guess, they're made for you, but yeah, I don't know, okay."_

_ Izou smirked slightly at Sora's quick, awkward reaction. "Well, shall we go back to the ship?"_

_ Sora nodded, following behind the men, her boots clicking softly. Izou and Thatch began chatting about something, so Sora was walking next to Marco. She dug something out of a blue bag. "Um," she started, glancing up at Marco. "I finished kinda early, so I-uh, yeah, okay, here." She shoved the item into Marco's hands. It was a gold chain belt decorated with metals and gems. _

_ Marco smiled at her. "You bought this for me?"_

_ "I made it," Sora said, looking away. "There's this shop and stuff to make stuff and I just bought the materials and yeah, stop."_

_ Marco strung it over his waist immediately, letting it hang from his sash. He couldn't believe that she had used some of the allowance Whitebeard gave her and bought something for him. She _made _it. It was a small gesture, but it made Marco happy. "Thank you," he said, ruffling her hair and slinging that arm around her shoulders._

_ "It's my thank you for training me and stuff. I…really don't think I would have been ale to get this far without you," Sora mumbled, looking away. Izou glanced back, smirking again before whispering something to Thatch. The brown haired man tried to inconspicuously glance back as well, and Marco rolled his eyes. Izou tended to go off tangent with his gossip sometimes._

_ Why was Marco's heart was beating so quickly? He was struggling to keep his composure. This girl…was so genuine. She said she didn't want to be a pirate and yet she bought something for Marco as a thanks. She said being a devil fruit made her a monster, but she had progressed so far in using her fruit in a matter of weeks. Not to mention that she was absolutely stunning. It was unbelievable that she was only sixteen. _

_Marco realized he never paid much attention to her body at all because most of it was hidden under baggy clothes. It sounded bad, but he actually thought that she had a really pretty face. He had memorized it – heart shaped, long eyelashes, big blue eyes, a smile with three dimples on one cheek and two on the other - but seeing her body along with it was completely different. She definitely was _not _just a kid. He struggled not to just stare at her._

_ They walked back to the dinghy, just chatting about their day. Sora told Marco about the places she went and the things she bought, and Marco told her about the people they met – it was all nice small talk. And for now, that was enough._

_ But it quickly stopped being enough. As the days went by, everyone began to consider Sora a woman rather than a kid. She had started to help cook, and clean, but still made time to spar in the morning and have dinner with the crew quite late into the night. She and Marco grew closer everyday – after dinner, she normally followed him to his room to talk. She just listened to him talk about pirate stories – but Marco had never really had the chance to talk to a woman so intimately before. Sure, there had been other women, but none like Sora._

_ And the way she listened, looking at him as though she were actually interested, her big eyes wide, laughing whole heartedly, the way she hooked her hair behind her ear, the way she wrung her thin fingers together during a suspenseful part – Marco noticed it all. He didn't want to – he wanted to stop caring about what she thought, but he couldn't help it. Everyday, Sora still chased after the key around Whitebeard's neck, getting closer and closer each time, and everyday, Marco prayed that her fingers wouldn't wrap around that tiny silver key._

_ Was it selfish? Was it selfish to care about her so much that he wanted her to stay here with the crew? With him? If her dream was to become strong, she could become stronger here than she ever could with the marines. But unfortunately, he knew that wasn't her dream. Her dream was to become a marine. While they were not enemies now, when she donned that white uniform, they might be. A day would come when he would have to fight her and maybe even kill her. _

_ Dinner was on the deck tonight, as the sky was clear and the moon was full. The crew had set up torches to help provide light and dinner was being carried up from the kitchen. Sora walked away from the pirates for a moment, and sat at Whitebeard's side. He glanced down at her. "I'm tired, kid. No sneaking up on me tonight."_

_ She laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, it's not that," she said quietly, keeping her eyes fixed on the party. It seemed like their laughter was so far away, even when she was right there. Her eyes landed on Marco and she couldn't help but smile gently. The man was so kind to her. He always made her laugh and helped her hone her powers, all the while knowing that she wanted to become a marine. _

_ "_Oyaji_," Thatch called, glancing back at his captain. "Come eat!"_

_ "Later," the old man said, waving him off. Thatch just nodded, returning to conversation with his _nakama_._

_ "Why do they call you that?" Sora blurted, looking up at Whitebeard. "Why do they address their captain as their father?" There was no one in the world who Sora could call her mother or father. Michio was a friend. Eiichi was a friend. She had friends on the island that cared for her because she was a child. She had floated there and was just taken in. She had friends. But she didn't have parents. She didn't have a family._

_ Whitebeard peered down at the small woman. "What is your treasure?" he asked._

_ Sora furrowed her brows. "Treasure?"_

_ "My treasure is my family," the giant man said, and Sora felt her lungs tighten. "We are not just a pirate crew. These boys are my family. They are my sons."_

_ "Your…sons," Sora said quietly, her eyes scanning the party in front of her. _

_ "We protect each other, like a family. I believe that this why we have survived for so long. We support each other, no matter what. That is what a family is, isn't it?"_

_ Sora shook her head. "I wouldn't know. I don't really have a real family."_

_ "The offer still stands," Whitebeard said, and Sora immediately knew what he was talking about._

_ "I can't," she said, but Whitebeard didn't hear the normal conviction in her voice when she denied him. He didn't hear her strength, or her stubbornness. For the first time since she came on this ship, Whitebeard heard _her_. _

_ They sat in silence for a little while. "You're going to stay, though?" he asked._

_ Sora sighed a little, nodding. She glanced up at Whitebeard, and grinned. "'Til I can get that key. I'm gonna be a marine."_

_ Whitebeard laughed heartily. "What a waste. You are a talented woman. You and I both know you could become stronger aboard my ship."_

_ "I don't need to be the best in the world. I just want to catch up to someone," Sora said, shaking her head. _

_ "That man?"_

_ "Yeah. I always…looked up to him and he became a marine. He's so strong. He's the reason I wield a sword. I want to be just like him."_

_ "Why try to be someone you are not?" the pirate asked. Sora felt uneasy – how did this man have the power to say things that really struck her heart? "You are you, child, no one else. Why not become strong in your own way? You don't need to be the best in the world? Of course you don't. But why put a cap on how much you can grow?"_

_ Sora was silent. What could she say? "I—"_

_ White laughed again, tapping her head with his finger. "Don't fret about it too much, kid. You want to leave, sure. Get the key from me and you can leave, no questions asked."_

_ Sora nodded, sighing. She would get that key no matter what._


	16. Chapter 16: Second Date

**FIVE YEARS AGO**

_"Ah, you hit me pretty hard back there," Ken said, rubbing his abdomen. He had just finished sparring against Marco a short while ago. He had lost, and Sora had her fun laughing it up as she teased him. She couldn't beat Ken yet, and she and Marco always tied during their spars._

_ Marco chuckled, and the two men shook hands. "Sorry, you know I didn't mean it. It's all for sport."_

_ "There's a reason why you're the first division commander," Ken said, grinning at the pirate. It was always nice to come back home. Honorable men like Marco weren't judged based on their title – Arashi Island was a place where pirates and marines could be friends – _nakama_, even._

_ Ken paused for a moment, sipping from his glass of scotch. He glanced around, seeing Sora at the table with Thatch, Jozu, and Whitebeard, eating a grilled cheese sandwich. She noticed him staring, and stuck her tongue out at him, before returning to her conversation. He smiled gently, and turned to Marco. "Can I ask you something?"_

_ Marco raised his eyebrows a little. "Sure."_

_ "And man to man, you have to answer honestly," Ken said, smiling at Marco. He nodded. "Do you—are you in love with Sora?"_

_ Marco froze. He felt his breathing stop and his stomach clench. He struggled to inhale a sliver of air and looked away. How was he supposed to answer _that _honestly? To _Ken_, of all people? There was a fairly good chance that the reason why Ken was asking was because he already knew. "Are you…upset?" Marco asked, not a hundred percent sure if this was the right answer._

_Ken shook his head and chuckled, placing a hand on Marco's shoulder. "No, I'm not mad or anything, I kind of figured. I just…wanted to know because I need to ask you a favor."_

_ Ken swallowed a lump in his throat, pursing his lips together. He swished around his glass of scotch, the words hard to find. "I…trust you," he started. "I don't care that you're a pirate – you're Sora's best friend. She always tells me about how great and amazing you are, how you always have her back, and it makes me happy that she has found _nakama _like you. I'm glad she has a man like you in her life – someone to protect her. And I know that it might sound selfish, considering how you feel about her…but I need you to take care of her."_

_ Marco was unsure what Ken was asking, even though he had just said it. The blonde just stared at the marine, not really sure what to say. Ken continued to talk, but his eyes were suddenly drawn to the ice in his glass. "I might not be able to come back to Sora. I leave for a mission in a few days and this might be the last time I see her."_

_ Shocked, Marco didn't know what to say again. Ken was going to die? Impossible. He was the _Meitou _of the Marines – the strongest swordsman besides Dracule Mihawk himself. "Where are you going?" was all Marco could ask._

_ "Well, there's this…pirate. Call him a rival of mine, maybe – Brower Adrian. He and I have crossed paths before, but I have never defeated him. He comes from an island that specialized in chemistry, so that's his main weapon, and I don't know, for some reason I have yet to overcome it. But he has recently found out that Arashi Island is my hometown, and so he plans to come here to take my life and to destroy the island. I can't let him do that. So I'm leaving to intercept him," Ken explained. He exhaled deeply. "I might not come back. And if Sora…" Ken sighed, placing his head in his hand as though in pain. "I can't…have her be unhappy, not even for a second. I need you to make her happy. I need you to protect her." Ken looked up and smiled weakly, a broken grin from a strong man, like he had already accepted his fate. "That woman means everything to me – I love her. So, will you promise me that you will always love Sora, too?"_

_ What kind of a promise was that? What kind of a promise meant putting yourself through mental torture, to only be second place to a man that was condemning himself to death to leave the woman he loved alone? What kind of a promise meant being only a friend to the woman Marco would die for? _

_ Marco sighed. It didn't matter what kind of promise it was because it was for Sora. The blonde nodded, his words filled with conviction. "I promise."_

It wasn't that difficult of a promise to keep.

Marco had so badly wanted to break it and just stop. Stop all his feelings so that he wouldn't have to care so much and so intensely and deeply for a woman that would never look at him in the same way. His feelings were so terribly unrequited that it was infuriating. There were millions of women in the world – why did he have to be stuck on just one? Why did he have to make that stupid promise?

Marco sighed, watching Sora move around the bar, serving breakfast. The jealousy towards her and Ace had lessened – a part of him had just come to accept it. She was happy, right? And Marco was keeping his promise to Ken. If he tried to steal Sora away, not only would it be disrespectful to Ace, but disrespectful to Ken as well, as Marco would be robbing Sora of the one thing Ken always wanted her to have: happiness.

"Ahoy, pretty lady," greeted Ace at the foot of the stairs. Marco could just see the way her face lit up whenever Ace spoke and his words were directed at her. It was the way she looked at Ken – so full of innocence and love.

"Ahoy," Sora told Ace, and then handed Marco his breakfast, the miso soup still steaming. "Might be a little hot," she said to Marco. She was smiling, but Marco knew it wasn't the same. It didn't contain the same light that she had when she was smiling at Ace.

"Okay, bye," Ace said, waving as he started for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Sora asked, putting a hand on her hip.

Ace spun around immediately, and smirked. "Wanna hang out?"

"No."

"Okay, then where I'm going doesn't concern you," Ace replied as though he didn't care, shrugging. "Have fun being a lame workaholic."

"Whatever," Sora scoffed, not falling for Ace's bait.

The younger man didn't seem to care. "Okay, see you later then."

"You're _really_ leaving?" Sora asked, not believing that he wasn't going to try and drag her away from work.

"Yeah," Ace said, raising an eyebrow. "I have things to do, too, you know. I mean, I try to make time for you, but I'm a very busy man, Sora. But if you want, you can just ask your King Daddy to make some time for his princess."

"Oh, my God, whenever you talk, it's just so painful," Sora responded sarcastically, giggling and waving him off. "Whatever. See you later, peasant."

"See you never!" Ace said, making a face at her. "I'm never coming back, Sora. You'll have to live your life without me!"

"Okay. Good for me. Bye," Sora said, turning around to grab a tray and waving to Ace, who just smirked. He quickly handed Marco a paper, turned on his heels, and left. The door closed with a jingle of a bell and Sora turned around again, looking skeptical. "He really left?" she asked Marco as though this were all some kind of trick.

"Yes," Marco said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Sora laughed. "Okay, well, if he thinks I'm going to follow or something, then he's got another thing coming."

"Oh, yeah, I think this is for you. It'd be a little weird if it's for me," Marco said, handing Sora the paper Ace had passed him. He had skimmed over it several times and immediately understood what Ace was trying to do. Even Marco had to admit that if Ace could pull it off, he deserved a trophy or something. Or at least a kiss.

Sora grabbed the paper, trying not to smile as she opened it. Written in Ace's messy handwriting was a little note that read, "_Our second date starts right now_."

Sora read over it several times, making a face. "What does that even mean?" she asked Marco, like he was supposed to know. "He just left."

"Oy, Sora, what are you still doing here?" Eiichi asked as he passed by.

"What? I'm working. You're the one always complaining that I never work," Sora said, folding up the letter again. Eiichi's eyes flicked over the paper briefly but Sora didn't notice him smirk.

"You're off today," he said as though Sora were supposed to have known this.

"What? This is my bar," she replied, putting a hand on her hip.

"Oh, really? 'Cause last I remember, I'm the one working double shifts pretty much everyday," Eiichi replied playfully. "And yeah, didn't you get the cheese?"

Eiichi pointed to the block of cheese that was sitting on Whitebeard's table. She was trying not to smile as she undid her apron, skipping to Whitebeard's table. "Is this for me, _Oyaji_?" she asked Whitebeard, who nodded, picking the cheese off the table with his fingers and handing it to Sora.

However, it wasn't edible – Sora could feel that it was hollow, and noticed a little compartment. She lifted it, to find that it was empty, except for another little letter. She laughed as she pulled it out. "When did he even put this here?" she asked, placing the cheese box back on the table.

Whitebeard just shrugged, amused as his daughter opened the piece of paper. "_Where fire will burn the sky_" was written on the letter. Sora's lips curled into a smile as she realized what he was doing. She stared up at Whitebeard. "Is he for real?" she breathed, and he could hear the giddiness in her voice.

"It would seem so," Whitebeard replied, and tapped her back. "Go."

Sora hurried to the counter, pulled out her keys and a bit of cash, stuffing both in her pockets. She tied her hair up, and grinned at Eiichi. "I'll be back later. Thank you."

Eiichi just smiled back, waving as she left, the door jingling behind her. He waited a few moments, and pushed open the kitchen door. "Ready to start?" he asked Ace, who was grinning, glad that Sora seemed so enthusiastic. He had slid in through the back door after leaving through the front, hiding in the kitchen until Sora left.

"Born ready," Ace said playfully, nodding.

"Where fire burns the sky," Sora repeated, reading the paper one more time. She thought for a moment, and then realized where it would be. She ran through the streets, ducking into Caleb's surf shop.

The owner grinned, running a hand through his loosely tied hair. "That was fast."

Sora grinned. "Where is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Caleb said, obviously pretending. "And even if I did, I couldn't tell you." He stared at the body board rack, and Sora looked up. She noticed the body board that had flames emblazoned on it – the one Ace had liked when they had come to pick one out for Kohaku. Sora knew she could reach it, and glanced around.

Taped onto a stepladder was another slip of paper that read, "Use Me!" in Ace's handwriting. Sora dragged the ladder to the board, lifting it from the rack. She made a face, finding that there was nothing behind it. Sora placed the board back, and thought for a moment, blinking. She slid the stepladder over to the board with the sky background, and lifted that one instead.

She grinned as she plucked an envelope. She stuffed it in her pocket as she put the board back, hopping off the stool. Caleb couldn't help but smile as well, watching Sora peel open the envelope as though it were the One Piece itself.

The next letter read: "_Beaches and wind chimes_." Sora looked into the envelope again to find some cash stuffed in there as well. She looked at Caleb, puzzled by the next clue. "Do you know what I'm supposed to do next?"

Caleb shrugged. "Wouldn't be fun if I just told you," he said, making a motion with his hand as though shooing her out.

Sora took a deep breath, trying to think. What did this clue mean? And why did he give her money? Sora figured she was supposed to buy something, but what? "_Beaches and wind chimes._"

Then it clicked, like the flicker of a lightbulb, and she rolled her eyes, heading towards the town square. She pushed open the door to a clothing store. "Sora," greeted the owner, smiling widely. Sora chuckled, knowing she had come to the right place. It seemed like the owners of the shop were definitely in on Ace's game.

She went straight for the bathing suit rack, knowing that's where the next clue was supposed to be. Beaches and wind chimes – what she wore at the beach and what she wore when she was known as _Fuurin _– a bikini. She browsed through the rack, eyes scanning for a slip of paper or an envelope that might be addressed to her. But there was nothing. She browsed through more clothing racks, and was fairly certain she had gone through everything in the swimwear department – even the men's section.

The woman who owned the shop, Lily, came over and patted Sora on the shoulder. "Just pick out something you like," she said.

"The letter's not here?"

Lily tried not to smile. Obviously Ace had to have let in the storeowners on his little game and they all seemed just as excited as Sora. "What letter? Take your time, Sora. Just find something you like. Maybe this one?"

She lifted a bikini off a nearby rack that made Sora roll her eyes. It was black with red and orange flames. The bottom piece had red ties on the sides and was all black. It was cute and simple, but had Ace written all over it – he had to have told Lily to suggest this one. Sora grinned, taking it. "Okay, I'll go try it on, then."

Ducking into the dressing room, Sora glanced up, looking in the mirror, and to her surprise, found another note. "_Show me some small boobs!_"

Sora snorted, laughing as she folded the letter neatly and put it in her pocket. She threw on the bikini that Lily had suggested and found it to actually be quite nice. Black was what she was used to, as she did wear a plain black bikini normally, but the red and orange were nice color accents. She was definitely going to buy it.

Changing back into her vest and gray shorts, Sora left the dressing room and went straight for the cash register. She handed Lily the bikini and a part of the money Ace had left her. There was an abnormally large amount of money considering that all she was buying was a swimsuit. She smiled at Lily. "I'll take it."

"Excellent choice," Lily told her. She punched in the price, and handed Sora her change and a receipt. However, on the receipt, there were no numbers or date of purchase – it was a letter from Ace.

"_Wish I could be there with you, but have a lovely lunch without me today. Lame clue, but I need to stall for time! I miss you already_."

Sora smiled gently, her eyes reading the last line over and over again until every shape of every character was embedded into her mind. "He's so lame," Sora giggled, but Lily could tell by the dimples in her cheeks and sparkles in her eyes that Sora didn't really think so. "Thanks, Lil, I'll see you later." Sora made her way out of the shop, and was surprised to find Izou, Curiel, Vista, and Fosta standing idly outside.

She smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Buying bikinis," Izou answered, making a face as though Sora were supposed to have known that three big men and a cross-dresser were out shopping together with no ulterior motives. The woman laughed. "We're here to pick you up for lunch, of course."

"Where are we going?" Sora asked, following Izou.

"Where do you want to go?" Izou asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman.

Sora grinned, having a feeling that she knew where the next clue was. "Ramen-Ya."

"But Ramen-Ya is closed," Curiel said, referring to how Michio only opened his shop at night.

The woman laughed, waving him off. "Ace and I eat at Michio's every day for lunch," Sora said. And it wasn't a lie. The past few days they had indeed been going to Michio's house to grab a bowl – or three – of ramen. They'd play with Michio's kids and stall for a while before Sora needed to head back to the bar. Akio and Haruo actually had taken a liking to Ace. They called him _aniki _as well.

"I'm starting to become seriously hurt that I'm not informed of your little rendezvous with Ace," Izou sighed, pretending to be offended as he put an arm around Sora.

"They're not really—I-I don't know—stop," Sora said, stumbling over her words. She pretended to cough to bring her hand up to her face to hide the fact that she was blushing. She couldn't believe herself – since when did she flush when it came to talking about Ace? It was this silly game of his; making her feel like a girl again.

Izou seemed to notice this also, but instead of not saying anything like how he normally did, he slapped Sora in the back and grinned. "Oh, look at how cute you are when you talk about Ace! Look at how cute she is!" he excitedly told the other division commanders, who just chuckled in agreement. "Oh, Ace would be so happy to hear this!"

"Stop!" Sora whined, making a face at Izou, who just laughed.

"I can't keep all your cuteness to myself. I need to share it," Izou said, ruffling her hair. "Don't worry. I won't make you sound _too_ happy."

"Izouuuuu," Sora tugged on his kimono in complaint, causing the other division commanders to laugh again.

Izou swatted her away. "Alright, alright, I will try my hardest not to say anything."

"Izou!"

"Okay, _fine_, I won't say anything to Ace, you fun-sucker," he sighed in defeat as they reached Michio's house. "How's the little scavenger hunt coming along?" He peeked into Sora's bag for a moment and gasped. "Oh, my God, did he make you buy lingerie from that place? Sora, you naughty girl!"

Sora scoffed, shaking her head. She pushed Izou's face away playfully. "It's a bikini!"

Izou tsk-ed like he didn't believe her and shrugged. "Oh, lying to me are we? Sora, you've changed. At least make a video for us – we need these things on long voyages," he teased, and the other division commanders laughed at this.

"Izou!" Sora laughed, shoving the man teasingly. Izou just laughed and she knew he was joking. She knocked on Michio's door. There was a stampede of footsteps and the door was eventually pulled open by one of Michio's sons.

"Hi, Aki," Sora greeted, grinning. She had been around these kids her entire life – they were twins but she could tell the difference.

Akio grinned. "Hi, _Aneki_," he greeted. He looked at the division commanders and nodded, unafraid of the large men. "Hey, guys." Akio held the door open for everyone, smiling as they passed.

"Oy," Michio greeted, waving as the pirates came into his house. "Good timing. Just about done making your late lunch."

"_Aneki,_" Haruo greeted, coming out of the other room. "Where's Ace?"

"I don't know," Sora shrugged, smiling at the boy.

"We have something cool to show him next time!" Akio stated, grinning. The twins were rather smart for their age and took pleasure in inventing new contraptions. Sometimes it drove Michio crazy because they used household items to build things like rockets. They had even tried to build a device to do the laundry or wash the dishes when they were too lazy to do the chores by hand. Ace always took interest in the things the twins built, always offering to held meld things together for them, much to Michio's stress.

"Ace is paying for everyone's lunches today," Sora told Michio, handing him the rest of the envelope.

Michio shook his hand, waving her off. "It's on me. And you're gonna need the rest of that anyway," he added with a smirk.

"Oh," Sora said, trying not to smile. She tucked the envelope back into her pocket. "Okay."

Everyone made their way into the dining room, where Akio and Haruo were practically bursting from their seats. "You guys seen Kohaku today?" Sora asked, wondering if the kid had gone with his friends. Kohaku seemed to think that Sora didn't know when he was sneaking out, but she just let it slide. Kids grow up.

Haruo grinned, opened his mouth to speak, but Akio shot him a look that made the grin disappear. He stared at Sora with wide eyes and shrugged instead. "Ah, nope, haven't seen him today. Maybe he's with Corinne."

Sora laughed as Michio came back from the kitchen with bowls of ramen. He placed down two of them in front of his sons. "Afterwards, Sora, we have something to show you, too!" Akio said, breaking his chopsticks.

"Yeah, we made something pretty cool and we need someone to test it out on," Haruo agreed.

Sora sighed. The last time she had volunteered to be a guinea pig for Akio and Haruo, one of their devices exploded and she had been covered in soot. She got a rash from it. "It better be something not stupid. Ace isn't here to be stupid for me."

Akio nodded. "It's totally safe. Right, dad?" he turned to Michio for confirmation. The man just grunted in response, handing bowls of ramen to the rest of the division commanders before ducking into the kitchen for the last time to grab Sora's bowl and his own.

Michio sat down next to Sora, raising an eyebrow. "How's your day going, Belleville?"

Sora just shrugged. She normally ate her ramen quite delicately, but today, she just shoved it in her mouth. She didn't want to talk and be the object of ridicule.

But it didn't matter, because Izou was here. "She's being very cute about Ace's little game," he said smugly, smirking at Sora as she tried not to pay attention to him. Izou turned to Michio. "She's just shy about it. Look at her feathers all ruffled."

Michio chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Ah, see, I'm not the only one that thinks you get like this about Ace. Pretend all you want, we all know you're having fun with the kid."

"This ramen is really good," Sora commented when she needed to take a breath. "How are things with Eiichi?" she said, switching the topic off herself to Michio.

Michio raised an eyebrow, knowing what she was doing. "Good. Why wouldn't it be otherwise?"

"I don't know, he works a lot."

"Because of you," Michio teased. He shrugged and shook his head. "I don't care. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do – if that includes working everyday then that's fine. He stays with Aki and Haru while I'm at work."

"Eiichi is funny," Haruo said, swallowing his noodles.

"Yeah, we burned his hair," Aki agreed, the two sharing a laugh. That explained one time Eiichi came into work with a much shorter haircut.

Even Michio laughed, shaking his head and sighing. "He never learns. I told him to stop volunteering for your crap," he told his sons, rolling his eyes.

"It's not crap," Aki said, making a face at his dad.

The other twin spoke up. "It's genius. One of these days you'll be able to go into space from one of our inventions."

"Or even awesome-r: you won't need laundry boards and clotheslines because we'll build the machine for it," Aki said, crossing his arms over his chest as though bragging.

"You guys are lazy," Michio sighed. "Chores need to be done regardless."

"So? Our stuff will speed up the process. Just wait, dad, it'll be awesome."

"And you'll be so glad you're the dad of the two greatest geniuses ever." The two boys high-fived at this, and the family shared a little laugh.

Michio sighed, knowing his sons weren't going to give it up. It was why he never really interfered with their inventions. They were adventurous and smart, but chose to apply that drive somewhere else. Why would Michio complain? "Well, we'll see when it happens."

"Eiichi comes here everyday?" Sora asked.

Michio shrugged. "More or less, yeah," he answered. "When he's not too tired or the twins trick him into helping out with their crap. He's a nice guy."

Sora smiled. She could tell that Michio was trying not to talk up Eiichi as much. The twins probably didn't understand everything that was going on but Sora knew that Michio appreciated everything that Eiichi did for him and for his sons to try and be a part of their lives.

"You done?" Haruo asked, peering over the table to see Sora finishing up her ramen.

"Almost," she said, lifting the bowl to her lips and pouring the thick soup down her throat. It warmed her entire body and she sighed happily afterwards, patting her belly as she sank into her chair. "Now I'm done."

"Let's go outside!" Akio insisted, leaping from his chair. His brother followed into the yard. Sora got up as well, and the division commanders pretended not to be interested in what was going to happen.

"Are you guys done with your lunch?" Michio called after his sons, but the twins ignored him, pulling something out from a bin.

"It's a bottle rocket," Akio told Sora. It was a large plastic bottle with foam fins glued to the side. A rather odd step down from what the boys usually made. Haruo handed her a hose.

"It's kind of a toy, I guess. Fill it with water and if we plug it to this air pressure thing, it'll shoot up into the air!"

"Yeah, and we made a parachute thingy to bring it back down." The boys gestured to the compartment quickly and then took it back from Sora's hands. She watched them plant the bottle and noticed something inside casing where the parachute was attached.

"Ace built that, didn't he?" Sora asked the boys.

"No, Ace couldn't build something as awesome this," Haruo said, waving her off.

Akio nodded in agreement, not making eye contact with her. "We built it."

Sora giggled. "Okay, well, let me fill it up with water, then," she said, making her way over to the boys. Akio hurried to the switch, twisting the knob. Water poured out of the end of the hose onto the grass, and Sora lifted the hose to the neck of the bottle, allowing the water to flow in. "How much is good?"

"I don't know, it's an experimental toy," Haruo said, waving her off. The bottle cap was attached with a tube to the air pump, which Akio handed to Sora.

"Try it!" he insisted, grinning.

"I can make more air pressure than this little thing," Sora told the boys, raising an eyebrow at the little green pump.

"No one cares, _Aneki_, just use what we have!" Haruo said, making the division commanders burst out laughing as Sora stared at the younger boy in shock.

"I'm small enough to be able to punch kids you know," she teased, but began moving the pump anyway, grinning. Bubbles gurgled into the bottle, and Sora could feel the pressure increasing, as it became harder to use the pump. Until suddenly, the rocket exploded from the stand, spraying everyone with water.

Akio and Haruo cheered as the rocket shot crookedly into the air, their compartment hovering for a moment. The parachute deployed – tissue paper tied with strings – and the little box came floating downward. Sora reached up and caught it gently. The boys didn't object, and she smiled, knowing it was for her.

Sora pulled it open, but found that it was empty. She searched around the box, but there was nothing written on it either. But then she noticed markings on the parachute and flattened it out, smiling as she read the letter.

But it wasn't a letter – it was just a poorly drawn picture of a mug with a green liquid in it, and little cartoon steam marks floating off the top. Sora giggled, plucking the paper from its strings and tucking it in her pocket.

"I've gotta go," she said, knowing exactly where she needed to head off to next.

"Don't let us stop you," Izou said, moving aside so she could pass. He winked at Sora. "Have fun on your date tonight. I need updates afterwards!"

"Stop," Sora whined playfully, causing the other division commanders to laugh. "Thanks boys," she said, patting both twins on the head for a job well done. "Ace will be proud."

"Anything for our blacksmith _aniki_," Akio answered with a grin, receiving a high five from Haruo.

"See you!" she called to Michio as she ducked out of the yard. The man just waved, smiling. It was always nice to see her happy.

"Coral," Sora greeted, slightly out of breath when she pushed open the door to the ice cream shop her friend worked at. She had ran all the way across town – maybe she could catch up with Ace if she hurried. Coral let out a girlish squeal, clapping her hands together happily.

"You came!"

"What'd Ace leave you?" Sora asked, stepping to the counter.

Coral shook her head, grinning. "I can't give that to you yet," she said with a giggle. "I mean-um, welcome, would you like to try our green tea ice cream today?" she asked as though helping a random customer.

Sora smiled. "Ace wants me to buy the ice cream?"

"Green tea ice cream it is," Coral said, punching it into her cash register. Sora laughed, handing her friend some of the money from the envelope Ace had given her. There was still a lot left – what else did Ace have in mind?

Coral rushed off, snatching a cup from the top of the stack. She lifted the case, and scooped ice cream into it, and handed it to Sora with a grin. She plucked a spoon from a container and gave that to her as well. "Thanks for coming. Have a lovely day."

"Thanks," Sora said, taking the ice cream. She waited for a moment for Coral to give her Ace's next note, but the younger girl just stood there, smiling. She scooped some ice cream and put it in her mouth, waiting.

"Is there something else?" Coral asked as though not sure what Sora was waiting for.

"Ace's thing," Sora clarified, swallowing her ice cream. "What'd he give you?"

Coral smiled, and shrugged. "You're done here, though. Have fun tonight!"

Sora blinked several times, the spoon dangling from her lips. "Really? Nothing?"

"I hope you have a good time on your date," Coral said, like she was a broken record just programmed to have Sora be on her way.

"Oh, um, okay, then. See you around, Coral," Sora said, spinning on her heels and leaving. She inhaled, furrowing her brows together. She was sure that was where the clue had taken her. Coral hadn't exactly been discrete about it either. Ace had drawn a mug of green tea. Sure, any other person would have gone to the nearest teahouse, but Ace had purposely colored the tea green, signifying Sora's favorite ice cream flavor.

Which, by the way, was quite delicious on a rather hot late summer afternoon.

Sora plopped down on a bench, scooping more ice cream into her mouth as she thought. Maybe it had been a clue to throw her off. Maybe Ace had come to Coral, and asked the obviously smitten teen to pretend like he left something with her for Sora.

Sora scoffed. Ace wouldn't be able to think of that.

Sora stared up into the sky briefly. Skies really were blue. She smiled to herself, scooping up more ice cream. She finished up the little bowl, and noticed that the bottom of it was covered in a thin plastic, with a little arrow drawn under it. Sora shoved the spoon in her mouth and flipped the cup.

"_Hi, again,_" started Ace's messy handwriting. "_Hope you had a great lunch and dessert courtesy of big daddy's pocket money._" Sora rolled her eyes at this, but continued reading. "_I wish I could shower you in gold, small boobs, but I guess diamond's gonna have to do_."

Sora rotated the cup, checking the sides for something else, but didn't find any more of Ace's handwriting on it. She scraped more ice cream off the bottom of cup. These clues were getting a little annoying.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," said a voice, and Sora looked up to see Jozu making his way towards her. "That Ace of yours never told me where you'd be."

The woman stood up, grinning. She carefully placed the empty ice cream cup in her shopping bag, making her way over to the big man. "Diamond Jozu," she greeted, smirking. How many more people were clued in on Ace's game?

"Day's been going good?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah."

"Izou said you were pretty enthusiastic about Ace's scavenger hunt."

Sora made a face. "Damn Izou," she groaned, sighing exasperatedly. Jozu just laughed, slapping Sora on the back as they started back towards the town square. "Where are we going now?"

"Don't wory about that," Jozu said, waving her off. "I feel like we haven't really talked since we came."

"I'm sorry," Sora said, looking a little uneasy. "How are things on the ship?"

Jozu offered her a smile. He wasn't mad, or anything – he just missed his _nakama_. "Good, as usual. _Oyaji _is taking his time. It's why we come here quite often."

"Is _Oyaji_ doing better?"

"The same."

Sora giggled. "Why do I even ask if everything is the same as before I left?" she laughed. "But I suppose that's how things are when you're aboard the ship of the strongest man in the world."

Jozu's laughter rumbled through Sora's ears as the man's body shook. "I suppose. I've been thinking a lot and I don't know if _Oyaji _even really, _really _intends to become the Pirate King."

"What?" Sora asked incredulously. "How? Why?"

Jozu just chuckled at her panicked response. "Marco, Thatch and I have been talking a little, and we suspect that, because of his heritage, _Oyaji _might want to make Ace the Pirate King." Sora was quiet. "Ace told you, didn't he?" Sora nodded, remembering the secret Ace had told her that night. "And what do you think?"

Sroa shrugged. "What is there to think? I was talking to _Oyaji _the other day and I don't know, it doesn't matter to me who Ace's parents are. He is who he is. A part of me has known it from the beginning, but I guess it's just hard to admit it. The other day at the beach, I realized that _Oyaji _was right; I was trying to make him to be someone he isn't. I really believe that Ace is…a genuine person." She paused and grinned up at Jozu sheepishly. "But don't tell him I'm saying this."

Jozu smiled, patting his _nakama _on the head. That was a good answer. "Of course."

"So, what's _Oyaji _doing in the meantime? I mean, if he really is planning on making Ace the Pirate King? Does Ace know?" Sora asked, her mind swimming with questions. The strongest man in the world wanted to make the son of his rival the Pirate King.

"Ace doesn't know. Not a lot of people know that Roger is Ace's biological father – only a few of the commanders and _Oyaji _know. I believe that _Oyaji _is waiting for Ace to grow up a little more. As he stands now, Ace is nowhere even close to becoming the Pirate King. However, as long as Ace is with us, he will be protected and will be allowed the opportunity to grow. I think that's what _Oyaji _wants." Jozu shrugged. "But that's just a speculation. Ace doesn't know anything – we haven't talked to him about any of this. We will see what happens when the time comes."

Sora smiled, nodding slowly. It was hard to believe that Whitebeard was prepared to pass on the title he coveted for decades to Portgas D. Ace. "What about Ace's brother?"

Jozu raised an eyebrow. "What brother?"

"Ace's brother. Ace has talked about him, probably. He's seems so proud – I think his name's Luffy, or something. Is he a son of Roger, too?"

The large man shrugged. "It is impossible for Ace's brother to also be Roger's son – Roger was executed twenty one years ago. It would have been too late for another child."

Then Sora remembered that Ace said that he and his brother were not related by blood, and nodded, also taking Jozu's explanation into consideration. She wondered what kind of man Ace's brother would grow up to be. "I'm going to keep an eye out," Sora told Jozu.

"For?"

"Ace's brother."

"Why?"

"I don't know. The way Ace talks about him makes him seem like he can become something great. Maybe not as great as _Oyaji _but you know, Ace is the most prideful person I've met and for someone to be able to make _him _proud? His brother Luffy must really be something, huh?" Sora said, smiling up at the third division commander.

Jozu laughed a little, nodding. "I suppose. You okay with _your_ brother wanting to become a pirate and all?"

Sora shrugged. "A man has to follow his dreams, right? If he wants to be a pirate like me instead of a marine like Ken, then I suppose I have to just support him. What else can I do? I don't _really _believe that there is a right and wrong. Whether you fly a black flag or a white flag – it doesn't matter. We're all children of the sea."

The third division commander chuckled, patting her on the back. "You sound like _Oyaji _and Ken. It's nice to know that there is a noble, chivalrous woman like you out there."

Sora batted her eyelashes playfully. "Aw, thanks."

"Well, we're here," Jozu said, gesturing to the shop in front of them.

"A dress shop?" Jozu pushed open the door for Sora, who stepped in. She was enthusiastically greeted by a salesperson.

"Hi, welcome!" the woman practically screamed.

"Hey, Terra," Sora said, a little thrown off by her pep. "I, ah, guess I'm here to buy a dress?" she looked up at Jozu for confirmation, and the man nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked like a father following his daughter into a shop, not particularly looking like he really wanted to be in the frilly dress shop. He took a seat on a few tiny chairs by the entrance.

"Just choose something you like," Jozu told Sora, just like how Lily had told her at the bikini shop today.

"Really? No note or anything suggested by Ace?" Sora said, browsing the racks. She hadn't worn a real dress in ages. She always just wore shorts and boots and vests. She did have that one cotton dress but it was so short she needed to wear shorts and boots with that too.

"And any alterations you need on your dress will be done by tonight," Terra said, smiling, hooking her blonde hair behind her ears.

"Am I supposed to wear the dress tonight?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"With the bathing suit you bought earlier," Jozu said from his place on the chairs.

"Where is Ace taking me?"

"You'll find out when you get there."

Sora huffed in feigned frustration, glancing around the store for something she'd like. If Ace really was paying for her to get a dress, Sora wanted one she actually liked, was comfortable in, and would most likely wear again. Then she saw it.

It was in the window – a simple white sundress. It had straps about half an inch thick, and had white corset ties down the front, slimming to the mannequin before frilling out ever so slightly at the bottom. "Can I try that one?" Sora asked Terra, pointing to the one on the mannequin.

"Oh, sure," Terra said, and searched through the racks to find the same dress. She handed it to Sora and shuffled the woman into a dressing room.

Sora glanced up again to see a note from Ace on the mirror that read, in bold markings, "_MORE SMALL BOOBS!_" She giggled and picked the note off, putting it in her pocket with the rest of Ace's letters.

Sora quickly changed into her new dress and opened the door to show Jozu. "How do I look?" she asked, twirling around to show off the dress. She didn't need an alterations – the dress fit perfectly, bodice hugging her curves and the dress ending right above her knees, making it an appropriate length for any occasion.

Jozu smiled at the younger woman. "I'm not really someone you should ask about that, but I mean, I guess it looks good."

Sora stuck her tongue out, smoothing the dress down. "Do you think Ace would like it?"

Jozu nodded. "I think so."

That was all Sora needed. The woman smiled and turned to Terra. "I'm gonna buy this one," she told the salesperson, and ducked back into the fitting room to change.

"Is Sora dating the current second division commander?" Terra asked Jozu quietly.

"Ha! He wishes. He's just taking her out tonight."

Terra smiled. "That's sweet."

Sora pushed open the door, leaving the tiny fitting room. She met Terra at the register, handing the woman the dress. Terra's finger clicked the numbers in, and the price came out to roughly around the amount of money that Sora had left. Sora gave Terra the money, wondering how it was possible that worked out quite perfectly, taking the shopping bag Terra gave her. She waited again, like how she had waited with Coral, but Terra didn't give her anything else.

"Wait, I don't get another note from Ace?" Sora asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Ace didn't give me anything," Terra said, looking confused.

Sora felt a tapping on her shoulder and she turned to see Jozu holding a little piece of paper. Sora grinned, smacking Jozu on the arm playfully as she took the letter. "How come you didn't just give this to me from the start?"

"Ace asked me a favor," Jozu replied, smirking. "Open it, I want to see what it says."

Sora unfolded the paper to have her eyes once again meet with Ace's handwriting. "_BAR_" was all it said. Sora sighed. "He was definitely getting tired of making elaborate clues," she laughed, showing the paper to Ace. "I guess we go back to the bar?"

Jozu nodded as the two bade farewell to Terra. "Let me walk you."

* * *

**A/N: I'm also planning on writing a...very R-18 Ace fanfiction as well and I have 5 chapters of that new one started. I still have more Blue Skies, though, so thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated! :) **


	17. Chapter 17: Feels Just Like Home

So, she waited. Sora got back to her bar, and just sat at a booth, waiting. There was no package waiting for her there, no surprise – nothing. Had she come to the wrong place? She read the letter over and over again, turning side sideways and upside down to make sure there weren't any other meanings, but there was nothing there either.

She sighed, resting her elbow on her table as it became dark. She had actually been quite excited, too. Sora had changed into the bathing suit and the dress, all for nothing. Oh, well. At least she got new free clothes from this whole ordeal.

Kohaku came back and nearly jumped ten feet into the air when he saw Sora at the bar. "_Aneki_!" he cried, glancing at the clock.

"What? Where have you been all day, kid?" Sora asked, turning to face the boy. She would have thought Kohaku had some elaborate part in all of this, being that he was very close to Ace.

"What are you still doing here?" Kohaku exclaimed, looking horrified.

Sora furrowed her brows. "What are you talking about?"

Kohaku pointed and Sora followed his finger to see that inside the fish tank was a little plastic bag taped to the inside of the glass, the fish picking at it curiously every now and then. Sora leapt out of her chair and jammed her hand in the tank, water spewing around. She ripped the letter from the glass, peeled open the plastic bag and unfolded the paper. There was nothing written on it besides a big red heart.

"Sorry," she heard Kohaku's voice and didn't have time to turn around as he swung a black cloth over her eyes, tying it. She heard him leap down from the counter and took her hand, his own hands small and a little clammy.

"What are you doing?" Sora demanded, stumbling over. She lifted one hand to try and take of the blindfold, but Kohaku snatched her hand away quickly, holding onto her fingers.

"Just trust me," he told her, and Sora sighed, allowing to be lead out of her own bar, tricked by a kid half her age. He laughed. "Dang, I almost thought you weren't going to fall for that. You're too easy, _Aneki_."

"Oh, shut up," Sora said, taking on hand and slapping Kohaku in the head. "Where are you taking me?" She could feel the ground under her feet, and was having trouble walking over it in her heels. Yes, she had worn heels. She thought she was going to be surprised or something, so she dressed nicely. Instead, she felt like she was being kidnapped.

"Shhhhhh," Kohaku said, continuing to walk.

"Don't you _shhhh _me, man, I told the twins today that I'm still small enough to punch kids," she teased, and Kohaku laughed. "Did you hang out with Corinne today?"

Sora could almost see Kohaku blushing, like steam blowing out of his ears. "No."

She giggled. "Oh, don't lie to me. She's cute."

"Stop!" Kohaku whined, and she felt him shake his head. Sora reached out, feeling for his head. Her hand ventured across his face, tugging his nose and pinching his cheek before ruffling his hair.

"You're so cute."

"Well, shut up, 'cause I heard you were being all girly over Ace today," Kohaku retorted snidely.

"I'm going to kill Izou," Sora growled.

"Ace makes you happy, doesn't he?"

"If he's like, right there, I'm going to beat you up."

Kohaku laughed. "No, we're still walking."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Kohaku saw his sister smile ever so slightly. "Yes." She shook her head, her normal playful expression returning. "I guess. I mean, I don't know, shut up."

The blonde boy snorted, holding back laughter. "You're so stupid."

Sora whacked him over the head. "Oy, I'm not afraid to hit kids," she said, but Kohaku just laughed. He stopped, and then spun her around several times. He undid the blindfold and Sora opened her eyes to see her village. She was standing on the hill of the training grounds that overlooked her village. It was dark now, so all the lights from the town glowed dimly. It was tranquil and always made Sora's heart feel warm – knowing that these people were safe in their homes.

But it wasn't Ace. There was no grand gesture – nothing of the sort.

"Bye," Kohaku said, waving as he ran down the hill.

"What? Hey!" Sora called after him, making a move to follow the boy back to the village. What a waste of time! She could have just donned an apron and gotten back to work. This day that she had actually been excited for ended up being a total let down. That was the last time she was ever going to agree to doing anything with—

"Hay is for horses," said a voice behind her and Sora whipped around, feeling the breath catch in her chest.

Tiny little fireflies floated in the air, numerous as the stars as they flickered randomly, setting shadows dancing across the grass. Ace was standing there, flashing his crooked grin with his freckles rising in his cheeks, dressed in a white open front linen shirt and beige cotton shorts. The orange glow made his eyes flicker gold, and Sora found it difficult to gather air.

"Ace," she breathed, needing to inhale deeply after saying his name. She reached out to touch a firefly, but Ace quickly flicked his wrist and the light went out.

"Ope, don't touch those. They may not look it, but they're pretty hot," he said, making his way over to her.

"_You_ made these?" she asked, gesturing to the firefly lights all around them. Because of the darkness and the sounds of the sea below, it felt like Sora was floating in space, surrounded by the stars.

Ace grinned. "Yep. It's a variation of my _kotarubi_. Not for fighting, but it'd probably still burn you."

"They're so beautiful," Sora said, mesmerized by the flickering lights as they passed by.

"Not as beautiful as you."

Sora rolled her eyes at Ace, who chuckled. "That was too easy."

"Oh, come on, you totally set that one up," Ace laughed. He moved closer, brushing the hair from her face and resting his elbow gently on her bare shoulder. "I was working on the firefly lights all day, you know," he bragged as though this were some amazing feat.

"Oh, really?" Sora asked with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip.

"And speaking of my day, how was yours?" he asked, his face a few inches away from hers.

He expected Sora to say something sarcastic or funny to put him down, but she just smiled up at him and said, "Awesome."

He was extremely elated with her answer, resisting the urge to pump his fist in the air and scream cheers. "Well, it's about to get even more awesome." He shifted his body and put his arm around her, leading her towards the middle of the hill. The firefly lights moved, making way for them as though a crowd splitting for celebrities to walk by.

Ace let go of Sora and plopped down onto a wool blanket he had laid on the ground. He patted the space next to her, looking up at the woman. Sora couldn't help but smile as she slid down next to Ace, taking off her heels to sit more comfortably. Out of a sewn picnic basket, Ace pulled out a wax candle. He glanced around as though trying to find a place to put it, and decided on ramming it in the dirt in front of the blanket, lighting it with his finger.

He turned to Sora and smiled, scratching his head sheepishly. "I kind of wanted to make our second date a little more romantic," he admitted. "So…" he reached into the basket again, handing Sora something. "I made grilled cheese sandwiches!"

Sora giggled, looking down at the sandwich in plastic wrap. Ace pulled out more things from the basket. "And chicken parmesan," he said, placing a large bento box in front of Sora. "And for dessert, I made cheesecake with chocolate drizzle. Yum," he pulled out the item from the basket, showing Sora that it really was there.

"You made all of this yourself?" Sora asked. "I would have only thought you knew how to make the grilled cheese."

"Well," Ace said, making a face. "Eiichi helped and it took several tries and I almost burned down your kitchen, but!" Ace said, holding a finger up as he noticed the alarmed expression on Sora's face, "I made it all myself. I worked pretty hard on this stuff, too. Oh, yeah!" Ace reached over to his other side, handing Sora something else. "I made this, too!"

It was a bouquet, except instead of flowers, were little blocks of different colored cheeses arranged to look like flowers. Some were even shaped like tulips and daisies. Sora smiled, dimples appearing on her cheeks. She bit off a piece of mozzarella baby's breath. "Ace, you didn't have to."

"I know," he replied, shrugging. "I wanted to."

Sora smiled at that, unwrapping her sandwich and taking a bite. Ace watched her chew, and swallow, and then she turned back to him, nodding. "It's good."

"Can't really mess up grilled cheese," Ace said, taking a bite of his own sandwich. He nodded at her. "Nice dress."

"I know, I like it, too," Sora said, grinning at Ace.

"I thought you would. I asked Miss Terra to put on the mannequin so you'd see it," Ace told her, smiling. "You played right into my hands today, small boob-ed puppet." He playfully made gestures with his hands as though controlling the strings of puppets, making Sora laugh. "Glad everything worked out, though. You finished earlier than I thought, so that's why I had Kohaku do that little thing at the bar. Sorry you had to wait so long for me. I had to keep practicing the firefly lights and it needed to get dark so they'd actually look like fireflies."

"You put a lot of thought into this."

Ace smirked, pretending to be arrogant. "Are you impressed? Swept off your feet? Wet your panties?"

"Ugh," Sora laughed, shoving Ace playfully. She took another bite of her sandwich. She realized she hadn't eaten since the ice cream after her lunch and was pretty excited for the food Ace cooked. "Thanks, though. Today was pretty interesting. I thought you weren't coming for me at the end."

"What?" Ace asked, laughing. He shook his head. "You think I'd run all around a town I've never been in before trying to find stores I've never seen and leave you clues and then not be there for you at the end? You're crazy."

"When did you have time to do all of that anyway? You spend half the day sleeping, and the other half bugging me," Sora teased.

Ace took a deep breath and nodded as though about to tell a great tale. "I woke up pretty early today."

The woman laughed. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah! I had Izou do a few things for me, too, since I had to spend the rest of the day cooking and stuff."

"Everyone was in on it?"

Ace grinned, nodding his head, some of his dark hair falling into his face. "Yep. I asked _Oyaji _and Kohaku for help. I've been planning thisfor a couple days."

"We just sparred, like, five days ago," Sora said, raising an eyebrow. "I only agreed to a second date because you won."

Ace waved her off like that didn't matter. "Yeah, even if I didn't win I knew I could figure out a way to get you to come out with me again," Ace said, flashing her a grin as the woman made a face at him. "You had fun today, right?"

Sora nodded, finishing up her sandwich. "Yeah."

"Then that's all that matters."

"Don't you normally eat more food than this?" Sora asked, gesturing to the two bento boxes in front of them. She remembered that Ace always seemed to need to eat the equivalent weight of a cow everyday.

Ace grinned. "Also why you needed to wait. I had a snack at Michio's before I came up here, so I wouldn't eat all of my food and all of yours, too."

"How considerate," Sora commented, laughing as she picked up her bento box. It was still warm, and she opened it, greeted with steam and the delicious scent of cheese, marinara sauce, and spices. She glanced over at Ace, who was already shoveling food into his mouth and she laughed, shaking her head. She twirled some noodles around her fork, putting the food into her mouth. A whirlwind of flavors over took her, the mild taste of cheese blending with the spices, the soft but crispy texture of the chicken – it was surprisingly very good.

She decided to tell Ace this. "This is surprisingly very good."

After swallowing his food, Ace grinned. He was literally already done with his own bento box. "Glad you like it." Ace inhaled, and plopped down onto the blanket, resting his head in Sora's lap while she ate. He expected her to shove him off, but she just let him lay there while she continued to place food in her mouth.

"What are you doing?" she said, covering her mouth politely as she spoke, still munching on her dinner.

"Hmm?"

"Why do you keep touching my hair?"

Ace shrugged. He had wound some of her hair around his finger and seemed to be amusing himself by unwinding and winding it again. "You have pretty hair. I like your hair better when it's long."

"Really?"

Ace nodded. "Your wanted poster is super hot and stuff but I don't know, I think you're a lot prettier with your long wavy hair. In the poster, you look mean."

Sora laughed, shaking her head. "Am I supposed to look sweet in a wanted poster?"

"I don't know, maybe," Ace said, shrugging again.

"Whatever," she laughed, slurping noodles up. Ace opened his mouth wide and Sora raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm still hungry. Feed me," Ace said, and opened his mouth again.

The sound of Sora's laughter never got old – Ace would love and remember it for as long as he lived. She twirled noodles around her fork and stuck it into Ace's mouth, the man chewing his food, and swallowing. "Damn, I'm like the best cook ever."

Sora just laughed at that, not agreeing or disagreeing, continue to eat her food, and occasionally share some with Ace. To her surprise, it was actually quite nice to be able to talk with him and be with him this way. He was sweet and always made her laugh.

Sora finished her dinner, leaning back a little, feeling the wind kiss her skin and blow her hair back. It was a little chilly, but she wasn't cold. Even though Ace wasn't hugging her like he did when she slept, she could still feel his warmth reaching even her bones. It was a comforting feeling that nestled in her chest and made her feel like home.

"Wanna eat dessert?" Ace asked after some time. On reflex, Sora had been playing with his hair, too, sweeping it out of his face, hooking it behind his ears, tangling her fingers in it gently. His hair was soft and thick – a part of her could kind of understand why he liked playing with her hair, too.

"Okay," Sora said, and Ace sat up, opening the basket to pick out the cake. "By the way, why am I wearing a swimsuit?" She tugged at the strings of the bikini she bought earlier today.

"You can take it off if you want. That, and the dress," Ace teased, receiving a slap on the shoulder from Sora. He grinned. "I just to throw you off. You know, keep you on your feet so you wouldn't know if we were going to a fancy dinner, or to the beach, or staying at the bar. If I don't keep you guessing, I'm just another boring guy, right?" He carefully sliced the cake, placing one on a paper plate and handing it to Sora.

"You're already a boring guy," she replied, laughing as Ace handed her a spoon.

"Stop being mean to me. I worked hard for you today," Ace complained playfully, returning to Sora's side with the remainder of the cake on the platter and a spoon.

"Awfully large piece there, Mr. Greedy Pants," Sora teased, scooping from Ace's platter. It was sweet and rich, dripping with flavor. She definitely wanted more than just one piece.

"Oy, oy, I gave you your own slice," Ace said, shifting his body so that his back was facing her and the cake was hidden.

"I thought you made the cheesecake for me," Sora said, trying to reach around him to take from his plate.

Ace slapped her hand away, sticking his tongue out. "I made it for MEEEEE!" he roared playfully, obviously joking, Sora bursting out into laughter.

"Hey, share! I only have like one little one. You know I love cheese," Sora said, placing her plate down and reaching around Ace's other side. He pushed her away again, the woman rolling on the blanket and giggling.

"Okay, I'll share some. If you admit that you also love _me_," Ace said, looking down at her and grinning.

"Ah, I'd rather just eat my own lonely piece," Sora said, pushing herself off the ground and crawling back to her slice of cake.

"You tried it right? Isn't it awesome? It took like five tries to make this batch, and after it's gone, then there's no more," Ace taunted, holding the platter in one hand. In one quick motion, Sora scooped some more off the platter stuffing it into her mouth, furrowing his brows. "Steal from me again, small boobs, and I'm gonna make you pay."

Purposely moving in slow motion, Sora made her spoon whizz around in circles, making it do barrel rolls and flips as it inched towards the platter, Ace trying his best not to laugh. She dug out a giant helping, the cake wobbling as she made it fly back to her, opening her mouth wide and putting the spoon in. She chewed in big, exaggerated slow motions, nodding and pointing at her mouth. Ace put down the platter and since Sora was still moving in slow motion, he swiftly picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder before she could even react.

"Ace," she laughed, coughing at the same time.

"Tell me you love me and you can have the whole cake," Ace told her, starting to spin around in circles. Sora felt her stomach drop to her chest as the world became a blur.

"Ace, stop spinning," she groaned, trying to free herself by punching weakly.

"Neveeeeeer," Sora heard Ace say, but then he wobbled, and she let out a little scream as they both fell, rolling on the grass as they laughed. Sora lifted herself up for a moment, her world still spinning, and collapsed onto Ace's chest, the man grunting from the sudden weight.

"I'm gonna throw up," Sora complained.

"That way," Ace said, pointing in the opposite direction of him as he laughed.

"Bleeeeghhhhh," Sora pretended to wretch, hovering over Ace. The dark haired man just laughed and hugged her, shifting her body so that she was on top of his, consumed by his warmth. Sora didn't get off like he expected, instead, she folded her arms over his chest and rested her chin on it, staring up at him with those big blue eyes.

Ace kept his arms around her. "I kinda like you on top," he said, and Sora rolled her eyes, now trying to move. But Ace held her tightly, and she gave up, plopping back onto him in defeat. "Now tell me you love me or no cake for my princess."

"I hate you."

"You pronounced 'love' wrong," Ace teased, ruffling her hair. "It's 'Ace, I luuuuuhhhhvvvvv you,'"

Sora groaned into his chest and she rolled over so that the two of them were on their sides, facing each other. Ace still had his arms around her and Sora still didn't distance herself. "Ace, I…" Sora started quietly and Ace's chest tightened. She was really going to say it! "…hate you."

"Wraaaaahhhh," Ace grunted, knocking his forehead against hers lightly. He let it rest there, and Sora's small hands found their way to his neck, her thumb grazing his jawbone and some of her fingers meshed with his hair. He focused on keeping his breathing normal. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, smiling slightly.

"I hate you," Sora said again, and Ace just chuckled.

"No, you don't."

"You're right," she said quietly, surprising him. "I don't."

"Well, that's a step forward."

"I like…that you're here," Sora said brushing the hair from his face.

"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Sora laughed, and propped herself up slightly, not taking her hand from his hair and face. "Really, though. Thanks for everything up until this point, Ace."

Ace grinned. "Yeah, of course."

Sora rolled away and Ace lifted himself off the ground to see that she was trying to aim for the blanket. When she arrived on the wool, she smiled at Ace. "I was gonna say let's lie down on here so my dress doesn't get dirty, but I'm pretty sure I just rolled over some dirt."

Ace chuckled, pulling himself off the ground and crawling to where Sora was, collapsing on the blanket next to Sora. He rested a hand on her head, bringing his lips to her forehead. "I always enjoy being with you," he told her. "It's weird, I don't normally care much for actually hanging out with girls. But I always want to hang out with you."

Sora laughed lightly. "Ah, yeah, I forgot that you're full of diseases."

"I'm not," Ace insisted, rolling his eyes. "I'm really glad you had fun today."

"Thanks for making it fun."

Ace's lips tried not to curl into a smirk. "So, um, I was talking to Izou…"

"Oh? What'd you guys talk about?" Sora said, raising her eyebrows as though interested in what Ace had to say.

Ace shrugged. "Ah, I don't know, just some stuff."

Sora narrowed her eyes playfully. "What kind of stuff?"

Ace shifted his body so that he was still lying on his stomach, but one arm was around Sora's waist. "Just stuff. Private stuff."

The woman laughed. "Why tell me that you were talking to Izou when you're not even going to tell me what you talked about?"

"Dunno. Just thought I'd mention it," he said, and then said quietly, flashing her a grin, "Because it makes me so happy when you're happy."

"Whatever. Damn Izou," Sora sighed, rolling on her side so that her back was facing Ace now. Ace laughed and pulled her closer to him, nestling his face in her hair.

"Wanna play another round of twenty-one questions?" Ace asked, and Sora could hear the smile in his voice as he tried to change the subject to something that made Sora a bit more comfortable.

"Whatever," she said again. "You can go first."

Ace spoke immediately. "Is what Izou said true?"

Sora groaned. It wasn't Ace changing the subject; it was him interrogating her. "Well, what did Izou say?"

"You know what he said. Is it true?"

"No."

Ace brushed her hair aside, kissing the back of her neck softly, chuckling as she lifted her shoulders, ticklish. "Whatever. You're so cute I'm going to die."

"I thought you were never going to die," Sora replied, laughing. "If I recall correctly, you've already referenced dying several times."

Ace scoffed as though this were ludicrous. "Those were jokes, Sora, duh. I'm _never_ going to die. If I die then I'm leaving behind my little brother and _Oyaji _and the crew and you – and I can't do that. I'm gonna outlive everyone!"

Sora laughed, shaking her head. "That's cute."

"Thanks," Ace replied, nestling his face in her hair again. "Your turn." She could feel the vibrations form his deep voice ringing in her head.

"Hmm. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?"

Ace chuckled at the question. "Umm, I guess a mouse."

"A mouse?"

"Yeah. To see things from a different perspective."

"Oh, that was _deep_. My soul aches from the poetry of your well-thought out answer," Sora said, clutching her chest as though her heart was in pain. Ace groaned in her hair from her sarcastic remark and she giggled. "I was expecting you to say, like, tiger, or bear, or shark or something dangerous and strong. Like a manly animal."

"I'm not that predictable. Remember? Keeping you on your feet?"

Sora scoffed. "Oh, please, you are so easy to read."

"Oh? And yet I managed to hang out with you alone four times – two of them as dates and more than any of the other division commanders, and we almost kissed like, hundred times. Predictable? I think not."

"We did not almost kiss hundred times."

"Oh, but we did. You just don't remember because you were probably in and out of consciousness, blacking out from being turned on."

Sora burst out laughing, turning around to shove her palm into Ace's mug. "You are, like, the stupid man I have ever met."

"Aren't you glad you met me, though?" he said, moving her hand aside.

Sora made a face. "Ugh, no."

"You're so mean," Ace said, sighing, rolling around so that all Sora could see was Whitebeard's Jolly Roger grinning at her. "I am never doing anything nice for you ever again."

Sora inched closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her skin cold against his. She rested her forehead against his back, exhaling gently. Ace could hear the smile in her voice as she said, "Played right into my hands. I wanted to be the big spoon anyway."

Ace chuckled, really wondering if she had known he was going to turn around after she made a snarky comment. He moved his arm so that his was on top of hers, lacing his fingers through the top of her hand. He felt her stiffen for a moment, and then relax again. She didn't hold his hand back, but she didn't pull away either. It was a nice, neutral reaction; Ace could live with that.

"My turn," Ace said, running his thumb over her flesh as he thought of a question. "What do you think of the One Piece?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what do you think it is?"

"You're asking if I think that it's Roger's treasure?" she asked, and felt Ace nod. "Yeah, I think it's his treasure. But I don't think it's riches."

"Elaborate," Ace urged, really, sincerely wondering.

"I don't think it's really anything tangible. A lot of people think that Roger was this demon and they hate him. I guess I didn't really understand it until I became a pirate myself, but I don't think that's all he was really about. He was a man that followed his dreams – and became the best in the world. I mean, he was rivals with _Oyaji _but they _respected_ each other as such – they weren't spiteful. I don't think a man like Roger was even really interested in riches and would only leave behind things like that." Sora paused. "Sorry. I know…that you hate Roger and everything."

"Nah, it's okay. I like hearing your thoughts. But you still didn't answer the question, so go on."

Sora smiled. "What do I think the One Piece is? I think it's the journey. Roger is the founder of a new era of adventure. It's funny, because no one knows what the One Piece is, but everyone is trying to find it. And it's been over twenty years and still, no one has found it. The One Piece drives men to become stronger; it drives them to find _nakama_, to form bonds with people they would have otherwise never met, had they not been on an adventure. If I were still a pirate and I was strong enough to have found the One Piece, even if it was nothing, even if it was just a slip of paper in an otherwise empty chest, I would have felt fulfilled – like, I wouldn't have felt like my journey was worthless, because at least I'd have my _nakama _and the memories we all shared together, right? So, I think that the One Piece _is _Roger's treasure – the treasure of adventure."

Ace turned around, and clutched his chest. "Oh, that was _deep_. My soul aches from the poetry of your well-thought out answer," Ace teased, repeating the line Sora had told him. Sora laughed and shoved her palm in his face again. Ace grabbed her hand, moving it aside. "That was a really interesting answer," he said.

"Why? What do you think it is?"

Ace shrugged. "I don't really care. I'm not interested in the One Piece. I just want to make _Oyaji _the Pirate King. He saved me – gave me a reason to live. I want to repay him by at least giving him that, you know?"

Sora smiled gently. "Yeah. Have you ever thought of being the Pirate King?"

Ace scoffed, and shook his head. "Maybe before I left my home when I was seventeen. But that's not for me anymore. It's not my goal."

"Can I ask what your goal is, then?"

Ace looked a little shocked by the question, and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. His gaze softened, and he smiled. "Not yet."

Sora smiled, and nodded. A part of her was glad that Ace wasn't ready to share pieces of himself yet. It meant that there were still things about him that she could learn – that she _wanted _to learn. It was something personal to him, something important, and a part of her actually looked forward to the day when he would be able to tell her.

"Do you miss being a pirate?" Ace asked, running his thumb over her knuckles, enjoying the fact that she wasn't pulling away. She was allowing herself to be a little more open to him, even if just for today.

Sora got that look again – that distant gaze of nostalgia that he had seen his first day here. Her eyes became bluer, reflecting the ocean she once sailed on, and her features softened, but just for a moment. "Yes," she answered. "All the time."

"Why don't you just go out to sea again? Come out with us this time! You can be in my division and we'll have so much fun," Ace said with a grin.

Sora laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Okay, first of all, you'd be in _my _division, and second of all, I can't go back to being a pirate. There are things that I need to do here first," she said. She decided to tell Ace a little more. "You know, the funny thing is, I actually didn't want to be a pirate, ever. I didn't hate pirates or anything; I just didn't want to be one. When I was younger, all I ever wanted to do was become a marine."

Ace was surprised, blinking several times. "A marine? And you now have a sexy wanted poster with a bounty of 210,000,000 Beli?"

"I know how that sounds," she said with a laugh. "But becoming a pirate was completely unplanned. I was sixteen when I first left Arashi Island. But," Sora said, smiling slightly, "I was _sixteen_ and on the _Grand Line_. It didn't matter that I was a swordsman; a sailor without _nakama _or a devil fruit didn't stand a chance against the sea."

"What happened?"

Sora shrugged. "I was attacked almost instantly. I did my best against Seakings, but it was the other crews I couldn't face. Crews in the Grand Line are so strong – they destroyed my little ship and left me for dead. I was found by _Oyaji_, and the rest is history." She shrugged as though this didn't matter. She stood up, holding out her hand to Ace. "I feel like lying in bed now. Do you wanna head back?"

Ace nodded, happy with her answer for now. He gestured to the cake that was still out, and their trash. "Help me clean first," he told her, grinning. Sora laughed, kneeling back down to help Ace pack up, and together, they headed back to the town, the firefly lights extinguishing as the passed.

"Can we hold hands?" Ace asked, holding out his hand to Sora.

"Nope," Sora answered straight up, folding her hands behind her back and smiling at a defeated looking Ace.

But instead of saying something about Sora being mean, Ace just brightened up and smiled. "Okay, that's fine," he said, shoving his hand in his pocket, his other one carrying the basket. They chatted for a bit on the way to town, their shadows dancing across the streets. Ace released some more firefly lights that followed them as they walked, Sora giggling happily.

"How do you even make these?" she said, letting a little flame hover above her palm for a little. She could feel the heat radiating off it and Ace extinguished it before she could touch it and burn herself.

"I told you, it's a variation of my _kotarubi_," he said, and held out his hand, allowing it to glow a yellow-green for a moment, before releasing more little firefly lights. "The trick, though, was getting them to just float around instead of explode." He made some more, allowing the lights to fill the streets.

Sora smiled. At times, the man was a raging flame. Her mind flashed back to their spar, the dark look that crossed his face, flames exploding around him in statements of roaring strength. He was capable of destroying everything and anything in his path.

She watched him create more lights, and he flashed her a crooked grin as they walked through the town, poking some lights to have them burst into a small fireball, and then disappear. He smiled, amused, raising his finger to try and make a larger floating flame. At other times, he was delicate, innocent, sincere. He was a man, with the heart of a young boy. Ace was very much like the sea itself: constantly changing, and – she hated to admit – incredibly unpredictable.

"What?" he asked, noticing Sora watching him.

She smiled gently. "Oh, nothing." She shook her head, placing her hand on the door of her bar. She turned back and watched Ace wave his hand, and all the lights disappeared, the streets becoming dark once again. Sora pushed the door open, returning to a darkened bar. Ace made a motion to flick on the lights, but Sora grabbed his wrist. "We're just going upstairs, right? Make a light."

"Oh, okay," Ace said, closing the door behind him. He flipped his thumb up, a dim fire illuminating the room. He placed the basket on the counter, and quickly carried the uneaten cake to the icebox in the back. Sora waited for him at the foot of the stairs and she allowed him to go first, following him to the room.

She pushed open the door quietly, flicking on the lights as Ace's fire went out. "Gonna shower?" Ace asked, knowing all too well that Sora was going to try and escape for any potentially romantic moment.

She grabbed some pajamas from her vanity. "Nah. I'll just change and be back. Don't go to sleep yet," she said, her answer completely catching Ace off guard.

"Okay," Ace said with a grin, shedding his shirt as she left the room. He could hear her footsteps creaking down the hall. Ace ran a hand through his hair. It had only been a few weeks, but he was definitely starting to have real, honest feelings for Sora. She was beautiful and elegant, but at the same time, a whirling tornado capable of destruction. Her strength and smarts were far more impressive than any woman Ace had ever met.

He plopped down in Sora's bed, placing his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He exhaled, and could feel an honest worry creeping up his throat. He actually sincerely _cared _for Sora. But he was a pirate and she wasn't – what would happen when Whitebeard suddenly decided to depart? Would he ever see her again? He felt his stomach drop. He couldn't imagine not being able to come down the stairs in the morning and not see her smiling face. But at the same time, not being a pirate was completely out of the question. He needed to become stronger, he needed to make Whitebeard the Pirate King, he needed to find the answer to his life's question.

But Ace… also needed Sora.

He shut his eyes for a moment, rubbing his hands over them as he struggled to regain his thoughts. What the hell was he thinking – even contemplating giving up piracy for a woman? Ace was nineteen – there would be _plenty _of women.

Jozu's voice echoed in Ace's mind. _You can scour the seas, lad, but you will never find a woman like Sora_. Ace knew it was true. No matter how many girls there were in the world, Ace knew – no, he truly _believed _– that he would never meet a woman as amazing as Sora for as long as he lived.

"Jammie time," Sora said as she returned to the room. She had tied her hair up and changed into a baggy shirt and sweat pants. Definitely not the kind of sleepwear Ace preferred, but she was still cute in it, so he greeted her with a smile. Sora turned off the lights and hopped over Ace, rolling into bed and pulling the covers over herself. She remembered to flip out a little to cover Ace's feet. "Oh, hi."

He chuckled. "Hey."

"Miss me?"

"Yup."

"I know. Sorry, but I'm way too awesome for you."

Ace scoffed playfully. "I'm sure it's the other way around, small boobs."

"Oh, my God, they are not that small. I swear if you call me that again I'm just going to show you my boobs already to prove it to you."

"Please do," Ace said, and Sora laughed – she was obviously joking. "Hmm, so do I get a third date?"

The woman across him smiled and answered unhesitatingly. "Yes."

"What? Really?" he asked excitedly. Definitely not the answer he was expecting. She was really surprising him tonight.

"Yeah. I mean, you did good today. I had a lot of fun," she said, smiling.

Ace's expression softened and he kissed her forehead. "I'm so glad," he whispered. "Our third date will be awesome, too."

She laughed, moving closer to Ace, comfortable in his warmth. "I hope so."

He could feel her breathing becoming rhythmic. Although she didn't stay awake very long, he was glad that she did confirm that she was happy. It was a nice feeling – being appreciated by a woman like Sora. "Gonna go sleep?" Ace asked softly.

"I never sleep," Sora replied, the strength of her voice fading.

Ace chuckled and closed his eyes. He had a long day as well, but he was glad that everything worked out for the best. He was able to make Sora smile. "Good night, Sora."

* * *

**A/N: Chapters might be coming out a little slower now because I have to work on my final project for my art class, among other things that happen at the end of semesters -_- I have written about 5-6 more chapters of Blue Skies (but it's not near done yet!) and about 6 chapters of my other R18 Ace fanfiction that I'm still kind of thinking about. Reviews are appreciated! I love knowing what people think about my story. Thanks for reading! :) **


	18. Chapter 18: The Silver Key

**SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO**

_"Did you see that?" Izou cried, pointing wildly at Sora, pulling Thatch's sleeve. "Did you see?"_

_ Thatch seemed just as excited. "Holy shit!" he yelled, also flailing around, pumping his fist in the air. "Yeah, Sora!"_

_ The woman was out of breath and there were bruises dotting her pale skin, but she had pinned Marco against a mast, her sword at his throat. She had won her first spar in a little under six months. She had been training with Marco and the division commanders every day, and spent a substantial amount of time learning how to better compress her wind powers to become stronger. And it had paid off. All of Marco's help had actually made a significant difference._

_ Marco smiled, lifting a hand to pat her on the head. "Well done."_

_ Sora's killer expression disappeared and she dropped her sword, astounded in even herself. "Oh, my God!" she cried, clapping her hands happily, and without warning, threw her arms over Marco. "I finally beat you!" Marco hugged her back, lifting her off the ground as she giggled. "You weren't going too easy on me right?" she asked, pulling back, but keeping her arms around his neck._

_ "You won one, so it's only going to get tougher," he told her, grinning. "You've come a long way."_

_ Sora released Marco, running past Thatch and Izou, who gave her high-fives. Marco knew where she was heading. "Whitebeard!" Sora cried, bounding up the stairs. The captain was sitting in his usual chair, drinking sake. Sora took a stance in front of the giant man. She was still sweating and brething hard, exhausted from her fight with Marco. "I'm gonna take that key today!"_

_ Marco felt his stomach drop. He thought maybe he would get used to it, Sora announcing to Whitebeard everyday that she was going to take the key to the storage, but it never got better. He wanted her to stay. Everyone did._

_ Whitebeard's thunderous laughter filled Sora's ears. "Again? Alright, then." He remained seated and Sora rushed him. Her increase in speed was incredible. When she had first ran at Whitebeard almost six months ago, Marco could see her in motion, one leg in front of the other, but now, she was just a blur, propelled by wind and gained strength from training everyday. Whitebeard lifted a hand to swat her away, but Sora leaped over it, hopping onto his arm and diving for the tiny key that hung around his neck, reaching her arm out. But in the next moment, she hit the deck, flying some distance away from Whitebeard and even breaking some of the wood with the impact._

_ "Ow," Sora said, sitting up and rubbing her shoulder. She had been hit back quite hard this time, because her speed had been so high, the impact upon being swatted away was harder._

_ Whitebeard laughed again. "Try again tomorrow."_

_ Sora sighed, crossing her legs. "I was sure I got faster," she said, and looked up to see Marco's hand. She took it and he pulled her up. "I got stronger and faster, right? I beat you. Shouldn't I be able to take that key?" she said, blinking several times and looking away. Just from this one incident, Sora's spirit had been crushed. She glared at Whitebeard, and flicked a tear from her face. "When is it going to be enough? I can't waste any more time here!"_

_ The captain just laughed. "Then stay with us."_

_ "I will never become a pirate."_

_ "Not just a pirate," Whitebeard said. "My second division commander."_

_ The other division commanders froze at that. The second division commander position had been vacant for a very long time. The men aboard Whitebeard's ship were strong but the division commander position was only offered to extraordinarily strong individuals. _

_ But, as everyone expected, Sora scoffed. "I will _never _become a pirate."_

_ "Then you will stay here until you can take the key."_

_ Sora screamed in frustration. "I don't understand! Why are you keeping me hostage? I just want to see Ken!"_

_That was the first time anyone heard Sora mention this name. Was this the person Sora loved? The person she was growing her hair out for? Marco didn't know how to react. That person really did exist. _

"_Join me and perhaps one day, you will meet him."_

"_If I become a marine, I can meet him faster," Sora shot back. "Why do you have to take away my dream?" Whitebeard shook his head, and waved her off, dismissing her. "I hate you. I hate you so much," Sora said, dropping to her knees. She was already weakened from Marco's battle and being struck down from Whitebeard. She buried her face in her hands._

"_Come on," Marco said gently, kneeling next to her. Sora swatted his hand away and stormed off, the division commanders hearing her slam the door to the cabins. Marco frowned. She had been with everyone for some time now, it was hard for them to imagine a life without her now._

_Sora didn't eat dinner with them that night. _

_The deck was silent, the only light given by the full moon. Marco couldn't sleep. Not after the talk with Oyaji today after Sora left. He needed to take a little breather. So he found hismelf on the deck of the Moby Dick, expecting to be alone. But Sora was there as well, leaning against the railing._

_She turned with the sound of Marco's footsteps. "Hey," she greeted._

_Marco smiled. "It's late. What're you doing up?"_

_Sora shrugged, and turned her eyes back to the sea. "Couldn't sleep. You?"_

_"Same." Marco stood by her, watching the moonlight reflect off the ocean. "Are you alright?"_

_Sora shrugged and shook her head at the same time. "I thought I would be. But I don't know." She gazed out at the ocean. "I really love the sea. It's so...I don't know how to explain it. But whenever I look at the ocean I feel like I'm home. I don't think I could live without it."_

_ "We all feel the same," Marco said, smiling._

_ "I feel like…there's so many things the sea offers and so many things I've yet to see. I don't know. I guess it's been nice staying here for now, because I get to see the ocean," she said, shrugging. "But I will get that key eventually."_

_Marco took a deep breath. "Actually," he said, struggling with his words. "Oyaji talked to us today." The blonde man pulled something out of his pocket and flipped it at Sora. Sora caught it between her hands and opened them. Her heart froze upon seeing a little silver key. _

"She's never going to get that key, _Oyaji_," Izou said, frowning at the sound of the door slamming.

"But I doubt she'll want to become a pirate. She's pretty adamant on being a marine," Thatch piped in, scratching his head. It had been a while since Sora had thrown a tantrum over being unable to retrieve the key to the storage. It seemed like today was just one of those days. She had felt confident because she had defeated Marco for the first time but everyone knew she was in no place to even get close to Whitebeard.

Whitebeard smiled. "But she has become much stronger. I saw that she defeated you in a spar, Marco."

Marco chuckled. "I wasn't going as hard on her as I should have been, but she won fair and square," Marco said. "She really progressed."

Whitebeard snapped off the necklace and tossed it to Marco. "Let her go, then. She will make a fine marine."

_"Marco," Sora breathed, unable to believe what she was looking at. The thing she had coveted for six months was finally in her fingers, the cold metal seeming to burn her skin. What Marco had just told her nearly conquered her resolve. Whitebeard was just giving her the key._

_"Sorry we've taken a lot of your time," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "We just wanted to make sure that you'll be able to fend for yourself on your journey to Marineford; that's why we all trained you," he explained. And it was the truth, at first. They had kept it a secret from her, of course. Everyone had decided that it was just the same as killing her if they let her take one of their ships and sail alone. But now, everyone was at disbelief that Whitebeard had just given Sora the key she needed to leave them all behind. No one wanted that anymore. _

_"We've put together some food and provisions for you in one of the smaller ships, so all you have to do is go down there and take it out of the storage tomorrow; you should reach an island with a marine base in a couple of days," he said, and his smile faded a little. "It was...really great getting to know you, Sora. I hope we meet again someday. I'm sure you'll become a great marine."_

_Sora was frozen to her spot on the deck, unable to speak. Marco turned around. That was much harder than he thought, but it needed to be done. Whitebeard was not a man that would hold a person back from their dreams. Marco knew that his captain never intended to keep Sora here in the first place. "Oh," Marco said, turning around and offering the woman a smile despite himself. "The division commanders have a meeting tomorrow morning. We'd all really love it if you came to say goodbye before you leave."_

_"Oh...kay," Sora said, struggling to breathe. She had the key. She _finally_ had the key. Everything she had been fighting for was now in the palm of her hands. Why did she suddenly not want it?_

_Marco waved, finding it too painful to turn around and look at her face. "Good night, Sora."_

_Sora sat in her room. She had woken up shortly after the division commanders had left for their meeting. She had stayed out late last night, just staring at the ocean. What kinds of adventures had she had aboard this ship? She had fought pirates and gotten a devil fruit, been saved by Whitebeard, gone shopping in places she would have never otherwise gone and seen things only a pirate can really see. She had met the most amazing group of men in the world. They were pirates, but Sora had been starting to think that didn't matter. They were people. _

_All this time, Sora believed that being a marine was the "right" thing to do. The marines wore white uniforms and stood for all that was justice, and put a stop to the crimes and havoc that pirates caused. But in all the time Sora had been here, these men had been nothing but sweet and kind to her. They fought when they needed to defend their ship, themselves, and their captain, but it wasn't like they hunted for people to kill them. They didn't attack civilian villages, rather, they just cruised along under the sun, enjoying the fact that they were out at sea with the people they cared about most in this world._

_Just because they flew a flag with a skull, did it mean that they were bad people? Did that make them as evil as Sora thought? Because Arashi Island was constantly raided by no-good pirates, Sora had grown to despise them and want to put a stop to them. She wanted to protect the people who had helped raised her. At a young age, she started to hate Gol D. Roger for starting this era of disaster. Thinking about it now, though, was it really that bad? Regardless of whether or not she was on a ship with a seagull on the flag, or a skull on the flag, did that even matter when it came to protecting people you cared about? Sora didn't know anymore. This era wasn't about causing chaos. Gol D. Roger had started an era of adventure, hadn't he? _

_And these men were the greatest people Sora had ever met. Izou, who took care of her like she was his little sister, took time everyday to brush Sora's hair, and stick pretty pins in it when he didn't think she was paying attention. Thatch, who told her jokes and always offered her bread and cheese at dinner. Jozu, who let Sora sit on his shoulder and gaze out into the horizon at sunset. Haruta, who Sora had taught to fold cranes, and now he couldn't stop folding them. Vista and Fossa, who had greatly helped Sora with her swordsplay by nearly shattering her blade every time and then apologizing profusely after being reminded that it was her most precious item. _

_And Marco. Sora's chest tightened. Marco. She owed him her life. Had he not commanded it, Sora might have been dead. Had he not befriended her, Sora might have just been alone for six months instead of perhaps making the best friends she would ever have in her life. _

_ But that didn't matter, did it? There were things Sora needed to do. There was a dream she needed to fulfill, a person she needed to catch up to. Sora stood up, grasping the precious key in her hands. She scooped her sword up from the corner it was propped up against. She would do all of those things and nothing was going to stop her. She pushed open the door and headed out onto the deck._

_Everyone was in low spirits at the division commander meeting. What were they even talking about? No one had a clue. Eyes would flicker to the door at every sound, hoping that it was Sora. They wanted to see her one last time._

_Marco couldn't believe that today was going to be the last time he would see Sora. He had grown attached to her - to her laugh and the way she smiled, even the way she drew her sword or the way she flipped her hair after losing a fight - Marco memorized it. The belt around his waist felt heavy. The woman who made it for him was going to leave him. He really hoped she would come say goodbye. It was going to be hard, but she hoped he did. He needed to see her. He wanted her to stay more than anything in the world._

_But he knew she couldn't. She didn't even _want_ to stay, not even a little bit. This girl, who everyone on this ship considered _nakama_ didn't think of them the same way. That was what perhaps hurt the most. She was just…leaving them behind._

_The door was opened and the division commanders looked up at once to see Sora standing there. Marco noticed that she was wearing a baseball cap and raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't say anything as she approached. She strode past all the division commanders and stood in front of Whitebeard, clutching her sword, glowering up at the man. And then, to everyone's surprise, Sora tore her blade off her waist and threw it down. It clattered towards their captain as she dropped to the floor, kneeling before Whitebeard on her hands and knees._

_She was tightly clutching the silver key in one hand, her body shaking. She removed her hat, and everyone stared in shock. Sora had cut her hair. It was now a short bob cut that framed her face and Sora lowered her body even more, pressing her forehead to the ground. "I can't leave," she said, her voice shaking. She was crying, drops of her tears splashing onto the wood. "I love everyone here so much. They are my _nakama_," she said, and the division commanders smiled gently at this. "If you will still have me, I would be honored to be a part of your crew, _Oyaji_."_

_The division commanders all exchanged glances, their eyes widening with excitement. Was this even happening? It all felt like some fairy tale. Were they dreaming?_

_Whitebeard laughed. "From the day you boarded this ship I already considered you a part of this family." The captain smiled down at the woman, who had lifted her head in shock at his statement. "Are you ready to finally tell me your name, then?"_

_Sora grinned, wiping her tears as she realized that in her six months here – although he probably did already know it – she hadn't told the captain her name. "Sora. Belleville D. Sora."_

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19: Happy Birthday, Sora

"Oy!" called a voice, and Sora looked up see Ace running at her at full speed.

Sora backed up, holding her hands out in front of her. "Ace—" she started, but Ace tackled her, bringing her into his arms and wrapping them around her as tightly as possible. Sora felt like her ribs were going to shatter as she struggled to breathe as she laughed.

"Happy birthday! Happy! Birthday!" he yelled as loudly as he could, claiming the attention of the entire bar.

"Ace," Sora choked, and he released her. He still had his arms around her as he tapped his forehead against hers.

"Happy birthday," he said again, grinning.

"Thanks," she said, putting her finger on his forehead and pushing him off. She grabbed a tray of food from the back and hurried to a table, smiling at the customers. "Sorry about that. Enjoy." She came to a frowning Ace. "What?"

"Why are you working on your birthday?"

"It's not like I'm going to close the bar just because it's my birthday."

"You should."

"I can't," she laughed. "But I think Marco was planning a party or something for tonight here. So I won't be working then, I guess."

"You guess? _You guess_? Hell, no, are you working during your own party! You are going to get drunk as _hell_! So drunk that you won't even remember that today was your birthday, and then we'll have to have another party tomorrow!"

Sora laughed, waving him off. "I'm not drinking with you ever, remember?"

"But it's your birthday. You're like thirty now, it's okay to have a little alcohol, Sora," Ace teased.

"I'm twenty-four!" Sora said, slapping Ace's arm playfully.

Ace made a face as though something had crawled on Sora's head and died. "That is _so _old."

"Oh, my God, when _you _turn twenty-four—"

"You're gonna be _forty_!" Ace said as though horrified.

"I'll be twenty-nine!"

Ace patted her on the head, making a face at her as though he were a parent disappointed in his child. "It's okay, you don't need to lie to me. You're very old. I understand. I will still follow you to the ends of the earth."

Sora rolled her eyes, swatting his hand away. "I am not old."

"I _know_, small boobs!" Ace said, slinging his arm around her. "I'm just teasing you. Didn't know you were one of those girls sensitive about their age. It's cute. You're cute. Still will be cute, even when you're thirty next year."

"Shut up," Sora sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Oy," Marco called, returning to the bar and waving at the woman.

"Hey," Sora greeted, leaving Ace for a moment to meet with him.

"Happy birthday," Marco said with a smile, ruffling Sora's hair. She laughed, smoothing it back down. "Izou and I are working on a few things for your party but in the mean time…"

He slid her a box from his pocket, and Sora took it, shaking it. There was a dull clacking from inside and she widened her eyes. "Ooh, presents! Can I open it?"

"It's your birthday, right?"

Sora lifted the cover off, and grinned. It was a gold chain necklace that mirrored the belt around Marco's waist. It was a much smaller version, with turquoise and peridot gems. "Aw, this is so cute!" she squealed, handing it to Marco so he could string it around her neck. She lifted her hair up and Marco attached the clasp. "Thank you! Did you have it made?"

"If by having it made you mean that I made it, then yeah," he said, grinning. Sora's face lit up at this. Marco knew how much she loved handmade objects. "Sorry, it's about eight years too late."

"It's fine," she said, smiling. She gazed down at the necklace again. "It's your phoenix colors."

Marco nodded, patting her on the head. "To heal and protect, right?"

Sora grinned up at him. "Right."

"Oy, Ace," Marco said, noticing the second division commander just staring. "Can I put you in charge of just watching her to make sure she doesn't run off all excited? She loves her birthday more than it seems." Sora slapped Marco playfully and he swatted her away, laughing.

"Yeah, sure," Ace said with a grin, running a hand through his hair, trying to pretend like he wasn't jealous. It disgusted himself how quickly he became envious of Marco. He knew they had a very close relationship from when they were on the _Moby Dick _together, but Ace couldn't help it.

"Cool," Marco said, giving Ace the thumbs up. "Okay, well, birthday girl, I have things to do for tonight. Just be here for dinner, okay?" He ruffled her hair again, Sora grinning, watching him leave before smoothing it down.

She turned to Ace, who had both his eyebrows raised. "That's cute," he said sarcastically, smiling dryly.

"Are you jealous again?" Sora asked immediately, rolling her eyes. She touched the necklace, looking down at it again. "It's just a gift. And I like it – Marco made it for me. Why are you getting all roused up?"

"I'm not," Ace argued, leaving the back of the bar.

"It was cute at first but now it's just annoying," Sora said as a matter of fact, crossing her arms over her chest, knowing that Ace was lying. "Just get over it. Marco and I are going to be friends for the rest of our lives, so why—"

"Holy _shit_, Sora, I just said I wasn't jealous," Ace snapped back. Sora seemed a little taken aback by his reaction, her eyebrows raising, and she shook her head, walking away.

"Whatever, Ace."

Ace wasn't going to say sorry. What the hell was with her anyway? He didn't understand. One day she didn't bother shrugging off Ace's arm around her after a date when Marco was there and the next Ace was invisible and she was swooning over Marco's gift. They literally had a fantastic date just last night, shouldn't she be swooning over him? He just didn't understand.

"You know what, I'm just gonna go," Ace said, shaking his head.

"Fine," was Sora's reply, and she didn't even look back as Ace left, the door slamming behind him. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair.

Well, that hadn't gone so well.

Ace figured he could go buy her a gift now, at least. Damn, why did he always have that tendency to upset Sora? And it was her _birthday_, too. He sighed, heading into the town square. He'd try to make it up to her later tonight.

Sora slammed down a tray of dirty dishes in the back of the kitchen, massaging her temples. Dammit, why did Ace always say stupid things like that? She hated that he got so worked up when she and Marco were only friends. Admittedly, she hadn't been so truthful about some things that happened on the ship, but that was a long time ago and it didn't matter anyway. She sighed. Why was Ace such an idiot? She had been hoping to have fun today, as it was her birthday, but now Ace was all in a huff. Normally she wouldn't really have cared if she just upset some guy, but Ace wasn't 'some guy' – it was _Ace_.

"Idiot," she mumbled, dumping the dishes into the sink. She jammed the faucet open, water spewing into the basin violently. She snatched the sponge off the counter and began scrubbing as hard as she could. "_Idiot_." She threw the soapy dish into another sink and it shattered, breaking another plate and some mugs. "Idiot!"

"Oy, oy," Eiichi said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Piece of shit," Sora mumbled, tossing another dish into the other sink. It shattered again and she let out a sigh, washing her hands off and leaning lowering her head to try and gather herself. She smiled widely as though Eiichi hadn't seen her little spasm. "Hello!"

"What's wrong?" Eiichi asked. He never saw Sora angry like that. The only time she ever got serious was during spars. Even when she was scolding Kohaku she wasn't serious.

"Nothing," she said, shrugging and wiping her hands on her apron. "I dropped a couple dishes. Oops."

"I'm not stupid," Eiichi said, raising an eyebrow. "What did Ace do?"

Sora scoffed, tying her hair up as she headed out of the kitchen. "Why do you think that Ace did anything? I said there's nothing wrong."

"Well, one, he's not here right now 'bothering' you," he said, making finger quotations, "And two, you just broke like ten dishes. I saw it with my own eyes, Sora." Eiichi nodded, raising both of his eyebrows now.

Sora sighed. "I just-I don't know. He drives me nuts. He gets so worked up over the whole Marco thing."

"That's kind of your fault, too, isn't it? You tease him about it."

"Well, he knows I'm joking. And this was different. Marco just gave me a gift and he's all shitting himself."

Eiichi crossed his arms over his chest. "And you don't think it's cute when he tries to compete for your attention?"

Sora turned her back, filling glasses with water. "No, it's annoying."

"Liar."

"Okay," Sora said, whirling around. Eiichi knew her too well. "Okay, it was cute before, but he yelled at me, you saw, didn't you? He yelled at me."

"You're cute," Eiichi said, patting her on the head. "Why don't you just tell him that there's no reason to be jealous?"

"I have told him!"

"No," Eiichi said, smirking. "Really tell him."

Sora scoffed. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Admit it. You like him."

"I do not."

"Okay, well, you care about him, then."

"We're friends. I'm supposed to care."

"You care _a lot_. You care about what he does and what he says and how he says it. You care about what he thinks of you. You care that he notices your relationships with everyone – especially Marco – and gets worked up over little stuff about it. You care that he's a little upset right now because he worked so hard for you yesterday for your date and you didn't even give him the time of day today," Eiichi said, smiling as his words hit every bullseye. He could see it in Sora's face. Her lips were pursed together slightly and her eyebrows were creased inwards – she was struggling with what to say back. "Am I right?"

And then she gave her typical answer: "No."

Eiichi let out an exasperated sigh and threw his hands up in the air, giving up. "I will _never_ understand women. This is why I'm gay, Sora; women like you who don't even know what they want."

"I've never wanted anything from Ace," Sora replied.

Eiichi shook his head. "Liar." He swooped up a tray that the kitchen pushed out and headed to a table, leaving Sora to just sigh. Thatch called her over and Sora decided to just push everything out of her mind. She wanted to enjoy herself today. She deserved that, right? One day to have to herself? It was her birthday – she didn't want it to be flooded with questions she couldn't answer and thoughts she wouldn't control.

She slid into the booth next to Thatch, smiling at the other division commanders as well. "Hey."

"Happy birthday," they all said, grinning at her.

"Want your presents now or tonight?" Thatch asked, putting his arm around her. All the division commanders actually looked a little excited, colorful boxes and bags poking out from all over the table.

"Oh, you guys are so great! You didn't have to!" Sora squealed, clapping her hands together. Then all at once, she was showered in gifts, the commanders arguing over whose gift she should open first.

"Mine, duh," Thatch said, shoving his box in her face. It was messily wrapped in bright pink paper, a silver bow tied on top. It looked like a five year old had wrapped the gift, but Sora grinned and took it anyway. She ripped open the paper, revealing orange colored shorts. Marco smiled. "Gray is cool, but I just thought you'd want a different color."

"Thank you!" Sora said, hugging Thatch. She opened the gifts from the other division commanders, which included several more colored shorts – it seemed like this had been a group thing, as now Sora had red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple shorts – some earrings and other jewelry, and shirts. Sora was surprised of how much they remembered about her – she absolutely adored every single gift.

"You guys are the greatest. Thank you!" she said, smiling at all the division commanders.

"Sora," said a loud, deep voice, and Sora turned to see Whitebeard making his way to the table as well. Holding a bag that was more than half of Sora's size. Of course, it looked tiny in comparison to Whitebeard. He placed the gift on the table in front of her, and it clunked heavily.

"Aw, _Oyaji_, you didn't need to," Sora said, standing on the chair so that she could peer into the bag. She gasped happily, covering her mouth. Thatch and Namur stood up as well, helping her pull her gift out of the bag. "Daiginjo!"

It was indeed a giant bottle of Daiginjo sake – the most expensive sake in the world – and Sora's favorite drink. A bottle of 720 milliliters normally ran for about 50,000 Beli, but Sora knew this was _way _over 50,000 Beli. It was just as wide as her and the neck of the bottle stretched up to her chest.

"Drink with us tonight," Whitebeard told her with a smile.

How could Sora turn this down? She hadn't drank Daiginjo sake in years – she could still remember the slightly dry tasting liquid sliding down her throat, the warm feeling rising to her head as her mouth was left with the slightest of fruit tastes. It was, without a doubt, one of the best feelings in the world.

Ace was mad – he probably wouldn't come back, right? The thought of that actually sparked a little flame of annoyance in her chest. He said he would be there to celebrate her birthday, but he had left, disregarding what Marco told him. He just left. In her mind, she scoffed. He was being a jerk, so who cared if he came back? So, Sora grinned back at Whitebeard and nodded. "Okay. Just for tonight."

The division commanders cheered and Whitebeard's laughter rumbled through the bar. Sora smiled. Tonight would be fun, with or without Ace.

Ace sighed, glancing into shops as he headed to the town square. What could he possibly buy for Sora? Marco's necklace that he made her was probably going to be the best thing she got today. Okay, that was a little bad to say, but Ace knew that whenever there was a birthday, there was always one or two gifts you liked the most. Everything else was nice, but it was just those one or two little things that really blew you away. There was thought put into it, and effort, and sometimes it was expensive – Ace wanted to give her something like that, that _really _showed her that he knew her.

"Ace."

Ace turned for a moment to see Coral, her auburn hair bouncing as she made her way to him. He smiled and waved. "Hey. What's up?"

"Oh, I'm shopping for something to give to Sora for her birthday," she said. "You're going to the party tonight, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Ace said, shrugging as they walked along. "We're, uh, I don't know, right now."

Coral frowned. "But I thought last night was such a success! She looked so happy coming into the store! And Kohaku told my sister that she said she was happy, too!"

"I don't know," Ace shrugged again, shaking his head. He chose to ignore Coral's last statement about Sora saying she was happy. At this point, he wondered if Kohaku was making stuff up. "What were you planning on getting her?"

"Oh, I saw these cute ice cream earrings in a shop before. I wanted to buy her green ones," Coral answered, smiling. "Are you going to get her something even though you bought all that stuff for her yesterday?"

Ace shook his head. "That wasn't for her birthday. That was just for the date. Which I thought went well. And I mean, it did, but today, I don't know. It's frustrating."

"What'd she say?"

"She's always getting on my case about Marco," Ace sighed, wondering why the hell he was talking to Coral about this. "I mean, yeah, okay, it seems small but I care. I don't know _why _I care, but I do, and it sucks. I wish I wasn't such a jealous bastard sometimes but she doesn't have to say shit to me all the time. She could just drop it and accept that, hey, sometimes I like to have her pay attention to me, you know? Especially after I worked so hard on that date and all Marco had to do was make her a little necklace and she totally forgets."

"Oh, I see," Coral said, seeming to take in Ace's words. She looked up at Ace with gentle eyes. "I understand that you get jealous and I feel like you're right – she should pay attention to you because of all you do, but you also have to get that that's not really how Sora is. She doesn't like to talk about her feelings as much; she just kind of keeps them inside. She's always been like that. She doesn't want to make things easy, you know?"

Ace shook his head and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't really understand. If you like someone, you should just tell them."

"Have you told her that you like her?"

Ace thought for a moment, recalling every conversation and every gesture he made. He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "No, I guess not."

"See?" Coral said with a smile. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"I don't know," Ace sighed. "I guess I like her, but I don't even really know. I've only known her for, like, a month. It just feels like a lot longer. I guess I just don't want to say anything until I'm sure."

"Because you're afraid she'll freak out?"

Ace nodded and shrugged his shoulders at the same time. "Yeah. I don't know, it's stupid," Ace said, waving her off. "Sorry for blabbering on. We're not even like, _really _fighting or anything. And I mean, I guess it's a good excuse to escape from her and buy her something for her birthday."

Coral grinned, hopping up into the air slightly, excited. "What are you going to get her?"

Ace took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I don't know. I wanna get her something good. I'm gonna think about it for a little. We can go to your jewelry shop first."

"Oh, okay!" Coral said, her voice high pitched, as though she were excited that Ace were tagging along with her. What could he possibly get her? He didn't want to trump Marco's gift, but at the same time, he did. He wanted to get Sora the best gift ever and show her that she was important.

Damn, _he_ didn't even know he was this jealous.

He followed Coral around for most of the day. He was surprised at how mature she was, even for fifteen years old. The store that she had been planning on getting Sora's gift from was sold out of the earrings, so they spent most of the day exploring the rest of the shops.

"Oy, what about this?" Ace asked, pointing to a necklace.

"Mm, Sora has Marco's necklace now, right?" Coral said with a smile. "Maybe a bracelet or a ring?"

"Maybe this?" Ace said, looking at a charm bracelet. "You can buy this stuff." There was a whole rack of different charms and Coral clapped her hands.

"Oh, yeah, this is awesome! Thanks," Coral said, spinning the rack to look at some of the charms. "You're actually a good person to shop with."

Ace shrugged. "Thanks, I guess."

Coral pulled off charms of cupcakes and flowers, holding them against the silver bracelet to see how it would look. "Did you think of something to get her yet?"

Ace shook his head. "I still have no idea."

"Maybe you can make her something?" Coral asked as she took the bracelet and several charms to the cash register. "Sora likes stuff that people make."

"What could I possibly make for her within the next few hours?" Ace asked, shrugging. "I'm not artistic or anything—" And then it clicked, and he grinned at Coral. "Wait. I think I definitely know what to get her."

"Ooh, what is it?" she asked excitedly, clapping her hands together.

Ace glanced around, looking for things on the wall. "Do you know anywhere that would sell, like, dials?"

Coral furrowed her brows. "Dials?"

"Have you ever heard of the sky island? They have this kind of, technology, I guess. I've never been there but I've seen some on our ship and on other islands. They'e kind of like, shells that can do stuff," Ace said, waving his hands around vaguely as he attempted to explain.

A lightbulb seemed to click in Coral's mind and she nodded. She reached into her purse, pulling out a palm-sized white shell. It was shaped like a cone with vents at the top and an open tube at the bottom. "You have one?"

Coral nodded. "Yeah, I bought it off a traveling salesman. I use this to remind myself where I leave things – I can lose things really easily," she said sheepishly. She handed the shell to Ace. "But I have another one at home, so you can have this one."

"Are you sure?" Ace asked. He wondered if these were really rare to come by. "At least let me pay for it."

Coral shook her head, waving him off as she took her shopping bag from the cashier. "It's totally fine. It's for Sora, right?"

"Yeah, but really. It must have been expensive. Let me take you somewhere to eat for a late lunch or something, then. Where's your favorite place to eat?"

Coral visibly blushed, shaking her head vigorously. "Oh, no, it's okay! You really don't need to do that!"

"How am I going to repay you, then?" Ace asked, pushing open the door and holding it for the younger girl. "Let's grab some food, and we'll call it even."

"Um, o-okay," she said, hooking hair behind her ear.

Ace grinned, shoving the shell into his pocket. "Awesome! Let's go eat!"

* * *

Sora glanced at the clock. It was dark already and people were starting to come in, handing her small gifts and birthday wishes, to all of which Sora smiled and thanked them. She was still working, however, her apron tied around her waist.

"Go get ready," Eiichi told her, shaking his head. "Please don't work tonight."

"I was just getting off," Sora said with a smile, untying her apron and dropping it into a bin. "Can you handle everything? I'm go change and come back down for the party."

Eiichi shooed her away. "Yeah, yeah, this is pretty much my bar. So go make yourself pretty for your party, Sora."

Sora grinned and nodded. "Okay." She whirled around, her eyes flicking over the door for a moment, and she noticed Ace come in with Coral, who was looking cute in a black and pink cocktail dress. Her auburn hair was curled slightly and she waved at Sora. Sora forced herself to smile in recognition. What was Ace doing hanging out with Coral? Had they been out together all day?

"Happy birthday!" Coral said, skipping to Sora and handing her a pink bag. "I hope you like it!"

"Oh, thanks," Sora said, giving her friend a hug. "I gotta get ready, so—"

"Oy," Ace said, poking the side of her neck. Sora flinched, putting a hand over the place he poked. She decided to ignore him. "Oy. Oy. Oy." He said again, poking her in a different place each time, Sora laughing. She had broken the angry façade. Damn being ticklish.

"I have to get ready, Ace," Sora said, putting both hands over her neck and backing away.

"Let's not fight," Ace said suddenly, smiling.

"We're not fighting."

"Awesome," he said, shrugging playfully. "Ticklish?" he asked, poking a spot over her hand, Sora's jumpy reaction confirming that he was correct. His eyes widened with a new idea and Sora backed away, shaking her head vigorously

"No, Ace!" she cried, but Ace scooped her up bridal style and started walking up the stairs. His hands were obviously out of commission as he needed to carry her, so he lowered his face so that he was biting on her neck, making 'nom-nom-nom' noises, Sora shrieking with laughter as she tried to push him off. "Ace! Ace! Stop it! Stop! We're fighting now! I'm mad!" she tried, but her bursts of laughter ruined everything.

"You already said we're not fighting," Ace said, pushing open her door and kicking I closed behind him. "You should also be thankful. I just chauffeured you to your room." He let her down on the bed, continuing to bite her neck, using his body to pin hers and holding her hands above her head as she squirmed and squealed girlishly, trying to push him off.

Before he could stop himself, Ace slipped his tongue out and he wasn't so much as chomping her neck anymore, rather, he was kissing it, allowing his bites to soften ever so slightly. He tongue delved into the sensitive area and he felt Sora's breathing become shallow, her struggling stopping. She shifted in such a small way, tilting her head back ever so slightly, allowing him access to her flesh.

"Ace, I need to get ready," Sora said, and Ace heard her falter, barely able to speak.

"Later," He said, his voice deep and velvety, sending ripples down her spine.

He felt Sora swallow, trying to gain the courage to push him off. "Now," she breathed, attempting to sound confident, but failing. Ace focused on one patch of skin at the base of her neck, unable to restrain his want. "Ace, you should stop."

"I'm mad at you," Ace said quietly, continuing to kiss her, his hands tangled in hers.

"I thought we weren't fighting."

"No, I changed my mind. We are fighting. I'm furious."

"Ace, you should stop," Sora said again and Ace stopped sucking on her skin, instead dragging his tongue slowly up the length of her neck, eliciting a shudder from the woman beneath him. "Ace," she breathed, one of her hands tangling in his hair. The way she said his name right then – like a secret, like a guilty pleasure – it was maddening. It set his body ablaze, and he breathed her in, her scent and the feel of her body against his so _intoxicating_. What was this feeling? He had never been so lustful, but at the same time, so patient. It was amazing how they had come from fighting in the morning, to going their separate ways, to Sora's bed. She may hate them, but the woman was a rollercoaster ride.

"You should get back to Coral," Sora said before she could stop herself.

"Mm, what are you talking about?" Ace whispered, not moving from his position above her. He laid butterfly kisses from her jaw line to her collarbones, feeling Sora's body falter at each of them.

"You spent the whole day with her. You know she's kinda young for you."

She could feel him smile as he continued to kiss her. "Jealous?"

"No."

He chuckled and brought his lips up to her ear. "Just say it. Tell me yes."

Sora knew exactly what he was talking about. He didn't want her to admit that she was jealous – not that she was in the first place – but rather, yes to the question she had asked him on the beach. Could she? No, she couldn't. But why couldn't she move? She was frozen beneath him, completely surrendered. Voices in her head screamed for her to shove him as hard as she could but her body didn't listen. She was numb, her mind blank. Why did she lust for his touch? It was never like this. She liked his hugs and kisses on the forehead, but this wasn't like that. It was passionate and uncontrollable, like a hurricane, destroying every wall that Sora had ever tried to put up.

"Ace—" she started, and then there were three loud knocks before the door was pushed open. Ace washed the lust wash out from her eyes like last week's dirty laundry as she tilted her head back so that she was staring at Marco upside down. Ace didn't move, keeping his face in the cradle of her neck as Sora grinned at the older man in the doorway. "Hi," she greeted as though prepared to talk about the weather.

"Am I interrupting something?" Marco asked, locking eyes with Ace immediately. Ace still didn't move, keeping his fingers entwined with hers, silent.

Sora grinned and answered, "Nope."

"Eiichi said to call you. Dinner's ready," Marco said, not taking his eyes off Ace for one second. Ace stared back just as hard. What was he looking at anyway? Yes, he had interrupted. Why was Sora lying?

"Okay, we'll be down soon," she said, and Marco slammed the door loudly behind him, so hard that the room shook.

Sora's hand slid out from Ace's hair and she gently pushed him off, sitting up. Her neck was still glistening from Ace's kisses, two dark spots appearing on her flesh. She wrapped her hand around her neck, knowing that Ace had left marks on her. She pursed her lips and looked up at Ace. "I'm, um, going to change and go back downstairs."

Ace ran a hand through his hair, breathing deeply. He definitely needed time to recover from that. "Okay," he breathed, not knowing what else to say.

"We should probably not sleep in the same bed for a while," Sora said, standing up and heading over to her dresser.

"Probably not."

Sora pulled out the first clothes she could, obviously still a bit shaken. She didn't even understand what had just happened. She forced herself to keep breathing steadily. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Sora was at the door, her hand on the doorknob. She glanced back at Ace, who was sitting on the bed, resting his head in one hand. "Are you going to go eat?"

Ace didn't lift his face to look at her. He couldn't look at her. He didn't know whether he was upset or embarrassed. "I'll shower and stuff after you change. I'll be down later."

"Oh, okay, well – okay," Sora said, and closed the door quietly behind her.

"_Shit_," Ace whispered, sighing as he massaged his eyes and temples. "_Shit_." He picked out the tone dial from his pocket. He had tied a nice blue ribbon around it and that had really been the real reason he had taken her upstairs. He wanted to give her his gift without other people watching and judging. Because while others may have bought Sora expensive gifts, Ace had made her something instead. It had cost virtually nothing, as Coral seemed so nervous during their lunch that she barely ate.

He gently placed the tone dial on her nightstand, deciding to give it to her tomorrow morning or something. He realized now that he was just embarrassed. He was ashamed about the way he had acted ten seconds ago. He had nearly pressured the woman into completely giving herself to him and that's not what Ace wanted. Ace knew that a part of him was still upset and jealous about Marco and that was a little bit of why he had acted that way, but it was no excuse. What he had done was inexcusable and he needed to apologize to Sora for it.

He really did need to shower though. He just _felt _so grimy. It as odd for him – feeling wrong about doing that to a woman. But this wasn't just any woman, it was Sora, and Ace felt like he had completely disrespected her and he needed to make things right. Damn him for thinking these things now instead of before she left the room. He grabbed fresh clothes and pushed open the door, seeing that the bathroom was open. Sora was downstairs. Now he knew he could take his time and think about what to say to her tonight.

"Are you okay?" Marco asked Sora quietly when she came to the foot of the stairs.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sora asked, cheerful as usual. Marco eyed the slightly red patches of her skin that were flecked with dark spots, like a light rash. Sora covered them immediately, obviously knowing what Marco was looking at. "There was a bug in here, and yeah, it's a vampire bug, haven't you heard of those?" she said, tossing Marco a very poorly thought up lie.

"If he does that again then I'm going to do something about it."

Sora shook her head. "It's nothing, Marco. Really."

He hummed as though he didn't believe her, placing his hand on the back of her head. He pulled her in and kissed her forehead, ruffling her hair before walking away. The Sora eight years ago used to flush whenever Marco touched her, but now there were no feelings for him at all. There was no excited spark.

"Hi, birthday girl!" Izou said, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled away and glanced at her neck, also noticing the marks left there. He narrowed his eyes at it as though unable to determine whether or not he should ask. "Hmm."

Sora covered her neck sheepishly again. "Damn, that's gonna suck if I have to keep my hands here the whole night."

"I have just the thing," Izou said, pulling out a bottle. He squeezed some thick liquid onto his finger, and snapped the bottle shut. He titled Sora's chin up a little, pushing her hand aside and dabbed his finger over the splotches on her neck. He rubbed in the concealer, blending it with her skin. "There."

Sora smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"Mhm," he said, patting her on the head. "I told you you're a naughty girl."

"It was a vampire bug."

"Oh, okay," Izou said, waving her off. "Was that vampire bug's name _Ace_?"

"No," Sora said, sticking her tongue out at him. Izou just laughed, shaking his head.

"I'll interrogate you both later, but right now I have something for you." Izou reached behind him, pulling off a bag from the counter. He pulled out a piece of clothing, holding it to Sora and smiling. "Happy birthday; love, Izou."

"Oh, this is cute," Sora said, taking the top from him. It was a cropped shirt – as Izou did know Sora's tendency to expose her midriff with everything she wore – and had a zipper front, designed half of it white and half of it a bright sky blue. It was sleeveless, and there was also a hood in the back.

"Also, what the _hell _are you wearing?" he asked, making a face at her current outfit. Sora looked down at herself. Definitely not what she meant to grab out of her dresser. It was a shirt she had just cut the collar and hem off to make it smaller. It was a shirt she used when she went hiking. She was wearing her signature grey shorts and worn out slippers. "You look like a hobo."

Sora grinned sheepishly. "Oh, well."

"Don't 'oh, well' me. It's your birthday, you can't dress like that. You are so lucky that we are friends because I bought you these, too," he said, pulling more things out of the bag. "Now, scamper off and go change. Quick like a bunny! Make sure you put on everything I gave you." He shuffled her into the downstairs bathroom, closing the door behind her.

When Sora emerged, she looked down at herself. "Izou, I'm pretty sure you're the naughty girl," she teased. The shirt he had bought her had obviously been a little small as it hugged her figure, and she was unable to zip it up all the way, so some of the black lace from her bra was showing. He had bought her short new black shorts and black underwear with garterbelts on the front and back of her thighs, which connected to lacy stockings.

"I brought these for you, too," Izou said, handing Sora her pair of heeled boots.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Sora asked, looking at herself.

"Yes, you are very sexy," Izou said, leading her out of the corner bathroom and into the main hall of the bar.

"Happy birthday!" the entire bar cried when they saw Sora, cheering and hooting loudly as she entered the room.

She giggled. "Thank you! Please enjoy yourselves tonight – this party is for everyone!"

Her statement was met again by cheers and roars of agreement and she made her way to the table with the division commanders and Whitebeard, sliding in next to Marco.

"What are you wearing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Is it bad?" Sora said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Izou bought it for me. Does it look bad? I can go upstairs and change."

Marco took a sip from his scotch, patting her on the head. "You look good. It's fine."

"Okay," Sora said, bouncy again. "_Oyaji_! Daiginjo!"

Marco furrowed his brows a little. He didn't know that _Oyaji _had bought Sora daiginjo. She was drinking tonight? Oh, this would not end well. Especially dressed in that outfit. Whitebeard's laughter rumbled through the bar and he lifted the giant bottle of sake to the table, the glass landing with a clunk.

Eiichi stopped by and gave Sora a sake cup that was roughly the size of a dinner plate and Whitebeard poured it in. Eiichi had also prepared several _atsukan _of the daiginjo so that the other division commanders could also pour in their own miniature versions of sake. All the men lifted their cups and Sora followed as well, needing to use both hands to lift her enormous cup.

"To Sora!" they said together, clinking cups before pouring the chilled liquid down their throats. Sora drank the entire cup's worth, slamming it down and wiping her lips. She already felt a little woozy from the alcohol and let out a small hiccup.

Thatch slapped her on the back. "Drunk already?"

"No," Sora said, but everyone could see her face lighting with color.

"I'm fairly certain you just drank your body's weight worth of alcohol with that one drink," Jozu said, and the division commanders laughter.

Sora shook her head, and Marco could already see her swaying and losing focus. Damn, this woman could _not _do alcohol. "One more, one more! And bring food! Sushi! Maguro! I'm hungry!"

Ace could hear everyone downstairs. It seemed like Marco and Izou had put together a rather big party for Sora. Ace turned his face up, allowing the hot water to run over his skin. He only showered with hot water. Not like it was anything he couldn't handle. Nothing could burn him.

He sighed. What could he possibly say to Sora? Could he even face her now? And Marco knew, of course, too. He wasn't stupid. What would Ace say to Marco? How would he even possibly begin to explain what happened? Marco was most likely mad. Ace couldn't forget the glare Marco had shot his way. It was like he suddenly saw Ace as an enemy.

Ace didn't blame him. He had a very good feeling that Marco was madly in love with Sora, and that he had been for some time. But Marco was a respectful man and if he knew that Sora didn't feel the same way then he wouldn't say anything about it. But that also led Ace to wonder why _didn't _she feel the same way? They had the perfect set up. They were best friends and had a history together aboard the ship as the first and second division commanders. They must have spent a lot of time together and Sora did say that while she was on the _Moby Dick _she did have a crush on Marco. Sora can be a private person sometimes but he could only imagine that part of her only happened recently, within the past four years.

Four years. Ace still wondered about that. People mentioned that time frame a lot and Ace had witnessed it for himself – that look of heartache in her face. He remembered how she looked at the grave at the waterfall – Takamune Kenjiro – and how she had screamed at him when Ace had asked about that person from the photograph. Was that marine the reason why Sora wasn't with Marco right now? Ace wondered if Takamune Kenjiro really was dead. Maybe he just left and the grave had been put there as a remembrance. Who was he to Sora anyway? There were so many questions swirling around in Ace's mind that he didn't even know when to start. A part of him wished that she would just be with Marco already. Just be with him and have been with him since the start so he would have known already that he doesn't have a chance and he wouldn't feel like he was wasting his time.

But then he had to wonder if he really did feel that way. Whenever Sora laughed or smiled or got excited, Ace felt his heart inflate. He liked making her happy. He liked buying her things. He liked taking her on dates. He liked being there for her. And the funny thing was that he never used to care for these things with other women before. He had been on "dates" a few times, but never saw girls again after that. With Sora, it was different. He wanted more, and more – he _always _wanted to see her.

Except for now. He didn't know how to even look at her. He sighed again, turning off the water. The room was completely filled with a thick layer of steam, but it wasn't hot at all. Ace changed into a loose white button down linen shirt and black corduroy pants. He didn't button the shirt, but rolled up his sleeves and towel dried his hair. Some water droplets fell onto his shirt but he didn't care. It would dry later.

Ace watched all the steam flow out as he opened the door. He went back to the room and kicked on a pair of his docksides and headed down stairs. He could hear music playing and also the shouting and cheering and laughing of many people. He hadn't realized that he had been in the shower for some time. It was already getting pretty late.

"I love everyone in this bar," he heard someone say loudly. "I love everyone so, so, so, _so _much. I feel like I'm going to just die from all this love." Ace looked up to see Sora sitting on the counter, taking a swig from a bottle of beer as she talked to some of the crewmen.

She was drinking? Ace could see that she was wearing a zipper up top, but the zipper was down, exposing her all black lacy bra. He looked away immediately, making his way over to the table with Marco and the rest of the division commanders.

"Oy, better late than never," Thatch teased, grinning at Ace.

"Yeah, I guess I missed a lot," Ace said, furrowing his brows back at the woman who was still sitting on the counter yelling and giggling at a rather obnoxious volume. "Why is she drinking? I thought she passes out."

Izou snorted. "Passes out? Oh, no. She doesn't pass out 'til way later."

"Oh, but I thought she didn't drink," Ace said, raising an eyebrow.

"We _banned_ her from drinking," Marco clarified.

"But _Oyaji _had to go and break the trend," Thatch piped in, and their captain just laughed.

"She is entertaining," Whitebeard said, sipping from his bowl of sake.

"Perhaps _too _entertaining," Izou said, gesturing at the woman who had now completely shed her top and was basically just sitting on the counter of the bar in her underwear. And shorts. "She probably doesn't realize that the bar is 98% men and children. I love drunk Sora. Two drinks and it's like _poof_, goodbye, brain, hello, impulse."

"_Aneki_, put on some clothes," Kohaku said, covering his eyes.

"_You _put on clothes," Sora replied, downing the rest of her beer. She threw the empty bottle behind the bar and it shattered. "More beer, dammit! More sake!"

"I can see why she was banned," Ace said, making a face. Ace wasn't sure how he felt about women being rowdy drunks like how Sora was being right now. It perhaps was one of the most unsexy things a woman could do. But it _was _Sora, so it _was _sexy. He couldn't decide. He did decide, however, not to think about just _how_ sexy she looked in all that lace.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," Izou assured him.

"_Aneki_, clothes!" Kohaku said, punching his sister's knee lightly.

"I hate clothes. I should just never wear clothes," Sora said, shrugging off the top Izou gave her. She hopped off the counter, staggering for a bit, needing help from a few crewmen to stand up. It was quite late but Ace knew that everyone was already quite drunk and it was only going to get worse. Sora kicked off her shorts to reveal the lacy black lingerie that Izou had bought her and the entire bar hooted and howled and whistled as Sora sauntered on to the back of the bar.

"_This _is why she was banned," Izou chuckled.

"And yet you bought her that underwear," Thatch sighed.

Izou shrugged, guilty. "What? It's nice underwear. I thought she'd at least like to look sexy while she strips for us. Again."

"What was I saying?" Sora asked the crewmen at the bar, pretending to think. "Oh, yeah, no clothes." She stuck her thumbs under the straps of her bra, allowing one to fall off her shoulder.

"Oh, no," Ace mumbled, and quickly shuffled out of his seat, quickly shrugging off his shirt. "Sora," Ace said just as she pulled down the other strap of her bra. He slid behind her and whipped his shirt around her body, holding the arms up so that only the silhouette of her body was showing. The men at the bar still hooted and whistled anyway. Ace _immediately _turned his head away. "Sora, come on. Put on your clothes."

"Oy, _Hiken_," Sora said, her words slurring together. She was completely shit faced, her eyes glassy as she turned around looked up at Ace, her lacy new bra falling to the ground amongst the glass from the beer bottle she had broken "I don't think I have small boobs."

"Sora, put on your clothes."

"Do you wanna see?"

"If you're not going to put on your clothes, then put on my shirt."

"I don't want to," she said and tried to close the distance between them but Ace backed away, still keeping his arms up to hold the shirt. Ace knew that Sora's torso was completely bare but he forced himself to look away, not letting his eyes wander for one moment. She placed her hands on his chest, sliding one hand up to wrap around his neck, and Ace inched away, shutting his eyes.

"Sora, you're going to regret this tomorrow. Put on your clothes."

"No."

"Okay, then," Ace said, and wrapped his shirt around her, enclosing her arms as well as he quickly buttoned up the shirt, covering her body. "Come on. Time to go to sleep."

"I don't wanna!" she cried, spreading her arms out as though trying to burst the buttons on the shirt.

"Stop that," Ace said, putting her arms down. "Let's go. You have to go to sleep." Ace grabbed her hand and lead her up the stairs.

"Goodbye, all my lovely _nakama_. Apparently big daddy wants me to go to sleep," Sora announced to the entire bar. Normally Ace would have teased her about calling him 'daddy', but perhaps now was not the time. Marco kept his eyes on Ace, but didn't move from his seat next to Thatch, sipping from his scotch.

Sora was stumbling, tripping over the steps and giggling as she tried to stand up, tangled in Ace's shirt. Ace continued to pull her up, pushing open the door to her room. He led Sora and sat her down on her bed. She laughed as she swayed and fell over, her body heavy.

Ace pulled open a drawer of her dresser. "You should probably put on some pants, it's going to get cold." He opened a few more drawers searching for pajama bottoms. "Where do you keep—"

Ace was spun around and slammed into the nearby wall, Sora's body against his. She had stuck her arms through the sleeves, allowing Ace's shirt to hang loosely over her shoulders. Her hands were cold and clammy as they ran up and down Ace's chest, the younger man swallowing a lump in his throat. "Uh, Sora? Where do you keep your pajamas?"

"Hmm?" she said as though not listening, standing on her tiptoes to nibble at Ace's neck, leaving a cold trail of kisses along his throat, her arms wrapping around him.

"Hey, we already went through this today," Ace said, lifting his hands so that he could grab hers and lower them. Her kisses felt amazing. They were just on his neck but the feel of her soft lips against his flesh was maddening. He struggled to keep his breathing even, struggled to keep control of his body. Ace tried to push her away but Sora fought him, her bites becoming slightly rougher as she ran her tongue over his skin.

Ace couldn't fight her. He closed his eyes for a moment, his grip weakening on her arms. Sora pressed his hand against the wall leaving no distance between their two bodies as she continued to do to him exactly what he did to her mere hours ago. He was weak to her touch. Ace kept his head tilted up, however, and Sora couldn't reach his lips. She tried to, and ran her tongue along his jawbone as though to tempt him, but Ace couldn't. As Sora's mouth lowered to his collarbones to suck on a patch of flesh, her hand lowered as well, sliding down his stomach and popping off the button on his shorts, two fingers ducking slowly into his boxers—

"_Okay_, that's enough," Ace said, pushing her off and slipping out from under her. He wiped his neck and returned to her drawer, returning to the original task of trying to find her a pair of pants.

"Mmm, you don't want to kiss me?" Sora complained, wrapping her arms around Ace from behind. He could feel the shape of her breasts against his back and again, was struggling to breathe. He didn't answer, just kept rummaging through her clothes. "Aaaaace. Aaaaaaceee, kiss me. Kiss me! Now! Right nooooowww. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," she began to chant, hopping up and down.

Ace turned around and grabbed her hands holding them together. "No, Sora."

"What? You don't want me anymore? You don't want to kiss me?" she asked, looking confused. Her face was red and her eyes were glossed over. She wasn't even coherent anymore.

"I do," Ace said quietly, kissing her hands. He smiled at her. "I do. But not like this."

"Like what?"

"Look, if you really me to kiss you, then you can tell me yes again tomorrow, when you're sober. But for now, you have to go to sleep. Come on," Ace said, leading her to the bed. He sat her down. "Stay here, I need to find your clothes."

"Bottom left," Sora answered, falling onto the bed.

Ace followed her directions and pulled out a pair of cotton polka dotted pajama bottoms. He knelt in front of her, pulling them around her feet and up her waist. There were a few knocks at the doorframe and Ace turned to see Marco standing there. "She okay?" he asked.

Ace nodded. It was a good thing Marco hadn't come in two minutes ago; he had left the door open. "Yeah. Did you want to stay with her?"

Marco shook his head and turned around. "You stay with her. I'll trust you."

"Oh. Okay," Ace said, watching Marco turn the corner and head back down the steps. Ace got up for a moment and quietly closed the door, muting most of the noise. It was quite loud; maybe he should get some sleep as well.

"Aaaaaaacceeeeeee," Sora groaned from her bed.

"Yeah?"

"Come heeeeeere!"

Ace stretched, rolling his shoulder blades back. He flicked off the main light and rolled into his bed. "Go to sleep Sora."

"Ace! Now! Here!"

"You said we're not sharing a bed anymore and I'm not going to sleep there tonight."

"Well, can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Sora asked, her voice becoming small. Ace had his back faced to her and the sound of her tiny voice was too much for him to handle. "Please, Ace?"

Ace sighed exasperatedly, hopping out of bed. He dragged a stool from the corner to the bedside, and sat on it, determined to not get onto the woman's bed. Sora inched as close to him as possible, curling up into a little ball and smiling as though she were actually happy that he was going to stay with her. She grabbed onto his wrist and tried to pull him into bed but Ace remained firm.

"This is as far as I'm going," he told her. "I'm not going to let myself be tempted again."

"But I want you," Sora complained, tugging on him again.

Ace pulled his hand away, gently brushing the hair from her face. He smiled down at her. "Like I said, if you can tell me that again tomorrow, when you're sober, I will gladly be with you for the rest of my life. But I'm not going to do anything right now, okay?" What did it really matter what Ace said now? He cared about her so much. He realized that even if he said anything, it wouldn't matter because the chances of her remembering anything about this tomorrow were close to zero.

Sora held Ace's hand in both of hers, running her thumb over his knuckles. She was so drunk she didn't even know what she was saying. "Okay, I'll tell you tomorrow, then."

Ace chuckled and shook his head. "Unlikely."

"No, really. I will. Then you'll have to stay with me."

The younger man just nodded, skeptical. "Okay, fine."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

"What about when you leave?"

Ace felt his chest tighten. He didn't want to think about leaving. How could he just leave Sora behind? He had never cared about anyone as much as he cared about her. He hated that he had no other choice but to set sail with _Oyaji_ whenever that day came. It could be tomorrow, it could be a week from now, it could be months. Ace didn't know how long he had with Sora and just that thought killed him.

"Distance doesn't matter," Ace decided to tell her. "I'll still be with you forever."

"Really? You'd stay with me even if we were apart?" she asked, and the hopefulness in her voice almost broke him. He couldn't tell if she meant what she was saying. Even if she meant it a little, even just a sliver, it would make Ace so happy that he would burst.

"Yeah," Ace said quietly, stroking her hair with his other hand. Her ebony locks were soft under his fingers. Sora hummed happily, bringing Ace's hands to her lips and kissing his knuckles gently. It seemed like she had calmed down a lot and Ace was relieved. Rowdy, sexy Sora was too much for him to handle.

"That makes me happy," she said softly. "I'm so happy when we're together, Ace."

"I'm glad," Ace said. "I really like spending time with you, too."

Sora just smiled, keeping nuzzling against Ace's hand. His gaze softened at the cute gesture. She was irresistible, even as a drunken mess. "You have to promise me now," she said quietly, laying more kisses over his knuckles.

"Promise what?"

"That you won't leave me," she said. Her eyes were closed and Ace could tell that she was on the verge of passing out. "That even though someday, we might be thousands of miles apart, you won't leave my side."

Ace smiled gently. "Of course. I promise."

"Pinky promise?"

The man linked his pinky with hers. "Pinky promise."

"And promise," Sora continued, yawning softly. "That you'll never die. Because then you'd be breaking the first promise."

"Have you met me?" Ace said jokingly. "I'm never going to die."

"You have to promise," Sora insisted, opening one eye to stare at Ace.

Ace chuckled and nodded. "I promise. I'm definitely going to outlive you."

"You better," Sora said and Ace felt her body relax as she started to drift off to sleep. "Because I can't live for one day if you're not right there with me, even if you're a thousand miles away. I need you."

Ace smiled at her incredibly sweet words. "I would love if you would tell me that tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll tell you tomorrow," Sora said, her breathing becoming rhythmic.

"And everyday, for the rest of my life."

Sora's response was weaker, and she just repeated, "And everyday, for the rest of your life."

* * *

**A/N: A chapter with ten thousand words! I'm not gonna let negative reviews get me down, so any reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20: Reunion

**SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO**

_"She probably should _not _drink anymore," Izou said, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried not to laugh. Sora had stripped down to her underwear and was strutting around the room like she owned the place. She already wore just a bathing suit top, so she had just shed her shorts to expose black lacy underwear. In celebration of her official decision to become a Whitebeard Pirate, they had thrown her a party and allowed the younger woman to drink alcohol._

_ But they had forgotten that she was quite small and had never drank before, and therefore was unable to control herself. She had become drunk within the first two hours._

_ Marco took a sip form his scotch. "Probably not," he replied. He shrugged. "But let her have her fun. As long as she doesn't do anything too stupid. She doesn't realize she's on a ship full of men."_

_ Thatch chuckled. "I don't mean to sound like a perv or anything, but she's pretty hot, don't you think?"_

_ Izou laughed, slapping Marco on the back. "Of course Marco thinks so. He's been trying not to stare at her all night!"_

_ "False," Marco said, rolling his eyes. _

_ Izou ignored him. "I know you're the all mighty first division commander, but don't go taking advantage of our sweet little Sora. Keep her pure! She told me she's still a virgin, you know!"_

_ The other men choked on this, feeling a little awkward hearing about the younger woman's sex life. _

_ "I'm not doing anything," Marco assured Izou, shaking his head. "I am staying here and drinking, just like all of you so quit with the Sora jokes."_

_ The division commanders glanced up at the sound of cheering to see Sora standing on the bar counter, pounding another bottle of beer. The crewmen all laughed as Sora began to babble on about something incoherently. She eventually ended up passed out under one of the tables, but the night continued. Marco was the last one to leave, as usual._

_ "Oy, get up," he told Sora, kneeling down to shake her shoulder. He was a little light headed; he had drank _a lot _of scotch, and rum, and beer, and sake, and whatever else they had on board. Damn Sora for wearing that underwear and acting like a stripper when she was drunk. "Wake up, Sora."_

_ "Ken, it's too early, go away," Sora groaned, swatting Marco away and rolling over._

_ Marco swallowed a lump in his throat. Had she just called him Ken? He ignored the ache in his chest and nudged her again. "Come on, wake up, the floor is dirty. Go sleep in your room."_

_ Sora groaned and crawled out from under the bed, and Marco helped her off the ground. He let her go and she wobbled, falling over the table, giggling, and he sighed, putting his arm around her waist to help keep her stable. He helped Sora move from the room, but she tripped over her own feet, only to erupt into giggles. How was it possible that she was still drunk even after sleeping through dinner?_

_ He moved across the deck, leading her to the cabin she shared with some of the other division commanders. "Here, go inside, drink some water, and go to sleep," he said. "We're going to ban you from drinking if you keep acting like this." Marco let her go, and Sora stumbled for a moment, but Marco caught her waist, Sora wrapping her arms around his neck to avoid hitting the deck. "Use the wall," he told her, moving her so that she was leaning against the wall for support._

_ But Sora didn't unwind her arms from around him. Before Marco even realized it, they were kissing, their lips crashing against each other, fighting for control, tongues swirling, Marco pushing Sora up against the wall of the cabin with a loud thud. His body tingled from her touch, her thin fingers running across his chest as though trying to bring him closer and then traveling back up to wrap around his neck and head, shoving him against her. Sora let out a soft moan into his mouth as his tongue delved into her mouth, taking control._

Shit_, he thought, regaining his composure. And then he pushed her away, keeping both hands on her shoulders. He struggled to catch his breath, and the shallow rising and falling of Sora's chest indicated she was having the same problem. "You should, um, go to sleep," he said, and lifting a hand to pat her head like usual._

_ "Okay," Sora breathed. "Sorry."_

_ Marco took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He led her to the door and pushed it open. He needed her to leave before he was unable to control himself. "It's…fine. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_ "Okay," she said again, crossing the threshold into the cabin. "Good night."_

_ "Good night." Marco closed the door behind him and then pressed his back to it. He lowered his head and shut his eyes tightly, using one hand to massage his temples. What the hell just happened? He dragged his hand down his face and over his lips. He could still feel the tingling feeling of her own lips moving with his. He didn't even comprehend what had just happened. Why did he suddenly feel this way? Why did he want to do that again?_

_ He exhaled and shook his head. No, he definitely could _not _be thinking like this. Sora relied on him, she depended on him and she trusted him. She was drunk; that was the only reason why they kissed…right?_

_ Too much thinking. Marco had a tendency to do this sometimes. Lately, all his thoughts have been focused on trying _not _to think about Sora. _

_ That had not gone too well. He sighed and lifted himself off the door, heading towards his own cabin. He decided it was best to just forget about it._

* * *

"_Owwwwieeee," Sora moaned, making a face as one of the crewmen drilled needles into her arm. "Oooooowwwwwwwwwwwww!"_

_ "Oy, don't make sounds like that. You're gonna make all the men in here hard," he teased her, wiping away the ink with a gloved hand. The other crewmen who were watching laughed. Three more months had passed and Sora was getting her tattoo done today. It was Whitebeard's bright purple Jolly Roger on her arm. She was finishing it up by getting a sleeve of tribal markings that danced up her entire arm and tapered towards her collarbone. It had been a couple hours already. _

_ "Shut up," Sora laughed. _

_ "You think you'll take the second division commander slot soon?" he asked, coloring in more of the markings on her arm._

_ Sora shrugged. "I don't know." Every once in a while, Whitebeard offered her the job again, but Sora turned him down._

_ "Later," she would say. "Let me prove my allegiance to you."_

_ She had proven it to everyone, though. Just by choosing to stay aboard the ship was proof in itself. She had such a strong opinion about not wanting to be a pirate and keeping her hair long that it was a surprise to everyone when she decided to stay and chopped off all her hair. She cleaned and hung out with everyone, went on advance parties to get supplies, and helped cook._

_ "I haven't even done anything yet. I don't think I deserve the spot," Sora said. _

_ She heard the familiar laughter of a crewman she had met on board. "You're more than qualified for the position, lass," said a rather large, burly man. He had dark skin and thick black curly hair and a scruffy beard. He grinned widely and Sora could see his missing teeth._

_ Sora laughed, brushing him off. "Oh, I bet you say that to everyone, Marshall. Why don't you take the job?" Sora wondered if Whitebeard had ever offered that kind of position to Marshall D. Teach. Sora was always flawlessly polite to him, but for some reason, he was the only one on the entire ship she felt like had bad blood. There was something fishy about him, and she just knew it. _

_ But he was aboard the _Moby Dick _and therefore, was _nakama_, so she never did say anything about it to anyone. It was disrespectful, especially to a man who was nothing but friendly to her. He was a veteran – he had been with Whitebeard for decades. It would look bad if a newcomer like herself expressed her true feelings._

_ However, she knew that if the time ever came where he stepped out of line and disrespected anyone on the ship, Sora would be the one to personally deal with him. _Nakama_. That was a strong word. She realized that she would respect and honor that term until she died – it was the greatest honor she had ever received from anyone. She would not tolerate a person throwing around that word._

_ The man burst out laughing again, shaking his head. "Not interested in that sort of thing."_

_ Sora laughed. "Maybe one day—ow, fuck, Taka," Sora said, shooting a playful glare at her tattoo artist. He grinned sheepishly, wiping off more ink only to drill in some more._

_ "Hey, you're actually getting it done," Marco said, coming into the room. He ruffled her hair, grinning down at the woman. Perhaps choosing to forget about their drunken accident was the best choice he made. She didn't mention it – probably because she didn't remember it – and he had pushed it far from his mind as possible and told no one. He was, however, planning on doing something sweet for her tonight. Maybe a nice dinner, just the two of them, or a walk on the beach. He wondered what she would do if he made a nice gesture to her. Would something happen between them? Marco didn't know and he had been thinking about doing this for three months. He just needed to wait a little longer. He needed to wait until tonight._

_Marco peered around to see her tattoo. "Ah, a sleeve?"_

_ "I'd get mine on my chest like you but I don't think I could show it off," Sora joked, sticking her tongue out._

_ "What? You should have totally got it on your chest; we'd allow you to show it off," Thatch piped in, appearing next to Marco. Sora rolled her eyes at the men._

_ "We're going to head out to grab more supplies soon. We're approaching another island," Marco informed her, acting nonchalant. "Did you want to come?"_

_ "Yes! Hurry this shit up, Taka. I've been sitting here for like four hours," Sora pleaded teasingly, and the man chuckled._

_ "I can finish this later," he offered. Sora glanced at her arm. He had finished the Whitebeard Jolly Roger and the tribal designs had already finished on her collarbone and trailed all the way down to her elbow. She only had about half more to do and she was thoroughly impressed with his work. Her skin was a little puffy and red, and Taka wiped the blood away._

_ "Really? You have time to do it later?" she asked, her eyes glimmering._

_ Taka chuckled and nodded. "Tomorrow, same time. It'll take only a few more hours." He handed her a roll of gauze. "Here, just in case it starts bleeding or something."_

_ "Okay!" Sora said, and hopped up as Taka pulled his needle away. She stuffed the gauze into her shorts pocket. "I want to go shopping!" _

_ "Let's go, then," Marco said, gesturing to the door._

_ Sora had gotten used to life on the ship already. She was glad with the decision she made. Marco had asked about it after the meeting had ended on the day she decided to stay. "I thought you had things to do?" he asked, grinning. He ruffled her hair as usual._

_ "I do. But the great thing about dreams sometimes is that they can change, or take a new form," Sora said, smiling. Her eyes had still been a little watery, but now she was just teary because Whitebeard had accepted her on the ship and called her family. "I think…I'll be okay if I do those things here, with all of you."_

_ It had been better than just "okay"; it was the best decision that she had ever made. _

_ Sora hopped out of the dinghy, wading through the sea until she reached the sand. "Mmmm, before shopping can we go to lunch?" Sora asked, turning back to look at Marco. "Your treat?"_

_ "Fine," he said, shrugging. Together with Thatch, Izou, and Jozu, Marco and Sora led the way into the town._

_ "Oy," Thatch said, gesturing to her arm. _

_ Sora looked at it to see blood and ink dripping down. "Oops," she said, pulling out the gauze from her pocket. She tore off a piece and wiped her arm, tossing it into a trashcan._

_ Thatch made a face. "I'm pretty sure that's not what you're supposed to do." He took the roll from her and she grinned sheepishly as he tied it around her arm. "Leave it on there for now."_

_ "I guess maybe it's better to hide it now, too," she said, shrugging. The flesh around her new ink was still raw, so it stood out. She glanced around and pointed at a bar. "I smell barbeque! Let's go eat!"_

_ Sora darted towards the place and the older men just chuckled, following behind. They enjoyed her company. She was much younger than them and so full of energy. She did make them tired at times, but they had fun together with Sora. The four men followed her into the bar she wanted to eat at to see her standing frozen._

_ "_Ken_?" she breathed._

_ A man sitting at the bar turned at the sound of his name. He had long white-blond hair tied over his shoulder, tiny freckles dotting his face. He was dressed a marine uniform but was obviously off duty because it was loosely done, some of the buttons opened and the tie hanging messily around his neck. He swallowed his drink and his green eyes widened. "Sora? Sora, is that you?"_

_ "Holy shit! Ken!" Sora cried, and ran at him, the man catching her and pulling her into a tight embrace. _

_ Ken pulled away, his hands on her cheeks. "Aw, man, look at you! You've really grown up!" he stroked her short hair and grinned. "Your new hair is so cute."_

_ Sora was unable to control her smile. "I like your new hair, too. I guess you didn't listen to me when I said to cut it, huh?"_

_ "And you didn't listen to me when I said to grow yours out," he said, placing a hand on top of her head. "Man, it's really great to see you, Sora. You've grown into such a beautiful woman."_

_ Marco watched Sora blush. This was obviously the man Sora had been searching for. He didn't realize that when she said Ken, she meant _Takamune Kenjiro_, the _Meitou _of the Marines. He was a swordsman that rivaled some division commanders on Whitebeard's ship. _

_ "What're you up to here? I didn't get any mention of anyone else being here today. Whose division are you under?" Ken asked, still smiling. _

_ "Division?"_

_ "Ah, never mind, we can talk about work later," Ken said, waving her off. Marco realized that Ken thought that Sora had become a marine. He saw her shift uneasily. Ken noticed the gauze wrapped around her arm and the designs on her collarbone. "Wow, you're pretty gutsy, you got a tattoo? What's it of?" He pulled off the gauze. Sora made a motion to back away to dodge Ken's fingers, but she moved too late, and he pulled off the loosely done gauze._

_ Ken froze upon seeing the bright purple insignia on her arm. He recognized it immediately. "You're…a pirate," he said, his face completely neutral._

_ Marco, Thatch, Izou, and Jozu exchanged glances. This could get bad. They prepared to assist Sora in anyway possible. Regardless of who he was to Sora, this man was a marine. Not just any marine, too, but Takamune Kenjiro. Just by knowing his name the four men knew that although Sora had grown during her time on the ship, she was in no way even near close to being able to take down a marine of his skill._

_ Sora shifted so that she was hiding her right arm. She averted her gaze to the ground. "Ken, I-I'm sorry, I—"_

_ Ken laughed, patting her on the head. "Jeez, what are you saying sorry for?" he asked, using the gauze to rub off some of the peeling ink and blood. He grinned at her shocked expression, gesturing at the tattoo. "Wear this proudly. Otherwise, why even get it?"_

_ "You're not…mad?" Sora asked quietly. "Or disappointed?"_

_ Ken looked incredulous. "Why in the world would I be mad? Or even the slightest bit disappointed? It doesn't matter to me."_

_ "But you're a marine – you're supposed to—"_

_ Ken waved her off. "Yeah, who gives a crap what I'm supposed to do?" he said, still smiling. "You're important to me, Sora. We grew up together. You're my best friend. That is the only thing that matters, okay?" Sora was speechless and Ken glanced up, noticing the four men standing at the door. "Are these your _nakama_?"_

_ Sora smiled, looking back at them. "Yeah."_

_ Ken gestured to a big open table. "Let's have lunch together." A little wearily, the four men followed Sora and Ken to the table. "Hey, my name's Takamune Kenjiro," he said, holding his hand out to all four pirates._

_ They shook hands with him and told him their names, unsure. Why was a famous marine so calm about sitting and having a meal with Whitebeard pirates in a public place? But as weird as it seemed, none of them could sense any kind of ulterior motive from him. He wasn't trying to capture them, or trick them; he genuinely wanted to know them. _

_ Together, the marine and the five pirates had a rather fun lunch. Sora recalled her time on the ship, and Ken caught her up to date with everything that had happened in the marines within the past five years. Even Marco was surprised at how quickly Ken had ascended the ranks. He was twenty-one and already a captain who had made a name for himself. He watched Sora become captivated with Ken and couldn't help but feel a little jealous._

_ "I'm actually on vacation," Ken said with a smile when Sora asked what he was doing here. _

_ "Are you sure this is okay?" Sora asked, looking a little weary._

_ Ken waved her off. "Don't even worry about it, princess," he said, ruffling her hair. There was a bleeping sound coming from his pocket and Ken held up a finger in apology, pulling out the little snail. "Yo_."

_"Taichou, where are you?" asked a voice from the other end. The man sounded worried as the snail seemed to be flailing around. "The meeting is about to start!"_

_ Ken grinned sheepishly. "Ah, my apologies, I'll be there shortly." He hung up and smiled at Sora, fixing his uniform and tie. "Okay, I'm actually here on a sort of retreat for my division, but I'm considering it a vacation." _

_ Sora rolled her eyes at this and Ken stood up. "It was really great meeting all of you and I hope we can do this again," he told the other division commanders, who nodded in agreement. He pulled something else out of his pocket and handed it to Sora. It was a _den den mushi_. He smiled gently at the woman. "I'd really…like to see you again, Sora. Or talk or just— anything. I missed you so much while I was away and I'm not planning on letting you leave my side again. Please contact me when you have the time. If you're staying here for a while, I'd really like to take you out to dinner and catch up. _Futarikiri_." Just the two of us._

_ Sora blushed and smiled broadly. "Okay. I don't want to get you in trouble, though—"_

_ "Stop, I don't care about that," Ken said, smiling. He placed down money on the table to pay for the entire check and turned back to Sora. "You are the most important person to me. So, stop being ridiculous."_

_ Sora grinned. "Okay."_

_ Ken leaned down and placed a tiny kiss on her cheek, before waving to everyone and hustling out of the bar. Izou poked Sora in the shoulder teasingly as the girl was still blushing. "You are so cute. You're in love with him aren't you?" Izou was, as usual, straight and to the point._

_ "I am not," Sora said, but was unable to look at him in the eye._

_ "Oh, you're adorable," he said, rustling her hair. "He seems like a very nice, genuine person. I approve."_

_ "Stop," Sora complained, and the division commanders laughed as she turned pink._

_ "You should call him after his meeting," Izou said, standing up. He raised an eyebrow. "You're going to call him tonight, right?"_

_ Sora smiled. "Yes."_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, honestly, anonymous reviewer, I believe that if you have nothing nice to say, then don't say it. I'm not trying to become a professional author, and it is beyond me why someone who hates the plot of my story would come back and check on my reviews and reply to someone who left me a positive one. This is a _fanfiction. _When I write fanfictions I try to stay as close to the original plot as possible so a lot of what I write is restricted, and honestly, and I write for _fun_. If you don't like it, then please just don't read it. If you want to actually read an original story that I actually wrote then go to my fictionpress. My original story Little Less Obvious has received over 700 positive reviews and has been nominated for romance awards in the online group Some Kind of Wonderful. Let me put in another reminder that I am _not _trying to become a professional author. I just do it for _fun_, so please, anon, step off. _If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say it._**

**_Anyway_, thanks to everyone else who has been reading! Blue Skies has received almost 4,000 hits in less than a month and I really appreciate that! Thanks for all the support; I'm glad there are people who love an Ace x OC pairing as much as I do. Also, the quick sketch of my OCs (Sora, Kohaku, and Ken) are linked finally in my profile part, if you wanted to take a look at Sora guys in an "anime" style. Thanks again~~~~~~~~~~~~ **


	21. Chapter 21: Together

**ALMOST SIX YEARS AGO**

Bloop, bloop, bloop. Bloop, bloop, bloop.

_Ken glanced down at the_ den den mushi _on the table in front of him. He smiled at his division. "Sorry, let me take this," he said, picking up the snail and leaving the room. "Yo."_

_ "Hi, Ken," said a voice from the other line and he smiled tenderly._

_ "Hey. Didn't think you'd call me so soon."_

_ "Well, I'm free now, and you said to call. Are you still in your meeting?"_

_ "Yeah, but we're almost done. Where are you? I'll meet you."_

_ "I'm on my _ship_."_

_ "Ah, okay. Come grab me in about half an hour. I'll be on the beach."_

_ "You want to come on my _ship_?" Sora asked, sounding as though she wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly. "You know what kind of _ship_ it is." She was obviously being careful about what she was saying, being wary of any black _den den mushi_s that could be listening in._

_ Ken chuckled. "Yes, I know. And it's fine. I mean, if that's okay with you."_

_ "Yeah, we're having a feast tonight," Sora said, and Ken could see her smile all the way from the other end of the line. "It won't be just us for dinner, but we can hang out on the deck afterwards."_

_ "Okay, see you in thirty minutes," Ken agreed, and hung up. He couldn't believe this was happening. Admittedly, it was quite interesting as Ken was five years her senior and the last time he had seen her, she had just been a kid. But she had been his best friend. Even though he was several years older than her, he always felt like he could trust her. He regretted not being able to communicate with her during the years he had been away, but he meant what he had said in the bar; he wasn't going to let her leave him again._

_ He pushed open the door, returning to the meeting. He grinned at his men. "Sorry, guys. Something came up. Raincheck?"_

_ "_Taichou,_" his vice captain, Akira scolded, sighing. Ken didn't blame him; he did have the tendency to get lazy when it came to meetings. He would rather be out on the field than be confined in a little space just talking._

_ Ken wasn't even listening as he gathered his things. "Tomorrow, maybe, I don't know. If I'm not here then just continue without me. Akira, you know what we're supposed to talk about anyway," he said, pointing at his vice captain. Akira rolled his eyes but didn't stop Ken as he scurried from the room. He was excited to see Sora._

_ She had changed so much in the time he hadn't seen her. Just by standing beside her, he could feel a stronger, more confident aura about her. He wondered how much more powerful she really did get. When they were kids, Ken had helped Sora with her swordsmanship up until the day he left; he wondered how she had improved. He could just feel that now, she had a presence. _

_ But although Sora had changed, she had also stayed the same. He still remembered the way she smiled, and her slightly odd quirks, the way she ran a hand through her hair. She had become a woman that Ken admired now more than ever._

_ Ken changed into a loosely fitted black shirt and faded dark jeans, tossing his uniform in his bag. What was the point of those things anyway? Ken had become a marine because he figured it was where he could put his skills to use. He couldn't just sit around on Arashi Island twiddling his thumbs; he needed to be out, sailing the sea. That was the only reason he had enlisted in the marines. Why did he have to wear a uniform to go on an adventure? He didn't bother bringing his sword either. He wanted Sora's _nakama _to trust him._

_ It was dark already, and Sora was standing on the beach with a small lantern. She waved upon seeing Ken approach. "Hey," he said, and hugged her, which seemed to take her by surprise. She soon wrapped her arms around him tightly. _

_ "Miss me already?" Sora teased, sticking her tongue out._

_ Ken just smiled and nodded. "You sure this is okay with your crew? I mean, I don't care about the whole pirate thing, but are they okay with me?"_

_ "Yeah, I mean what pirate doesn't want a world renowned marine on board their ship?" Sora teased, grinning up at Ken, who shoved his palm in her face. _

_ "Come on, are you sure this is cool? I can try to wait to hang out with you until tomorrow. I mean, I can't make any promises, but if your _nakama _aren't okay with it, then it's fine," Ken said, smiling as Sora blushed slightly._

_ "Stop, I said they were fine," she said, waving him off. "They want to meet you."_

_ "I hope by meet, you don't mean kill," Ken joked, and Sora laughed. He glanced around. "Where's your boat?"_

_ "There," Sora said, gesturing to a giant ship anchored offshore near the mountains. Lights from the _Moby Dick _flickered brightly in the dark sky._

_ "No, I mean the boat that got you here," Ken said. "How are we getting back?"_

_ Sora smiled. "Like this," Sora said, and walked onto the water. Onto. The water. Ken's eyes widened. _

_ "How are you doing that?" he asked, running to her. His feet splashed in the ocean that came to lap the shores, parts of his jeans getting wet. Sora was standing on the water, unaffected by the waves. She made a face at Ken as though this were a normal occurance. "Are you a sorcerer now?"_

_ Sora laughed. "No, silly. _Akuma no mi_," she clarified, holding her hand out to Ken. He took it and as he moved closer to her, looked down for a moment to see that around her feet the water was slightly dented, as though being blown out in a circle. _

_ "Is that _air_?" Ken asked, still in disbelief. "Can you control _air_?"_

_ "It's wind," Sora laughed. "Now come on, I'm hungry!"_

_ "I can't walk on _air_," Ken said, exaggerating the word 'air' rather explicitly, widening his eyes and increasing his volume. Sora giggled again._

_ "I believe in you," Sora said, looking at him with a real, genuine conviction, her eyebrows creased inwards and she nodded sharply as though sending a warrior out into combat. Ken chuckled. She was definitely still the same weirdo as five years ago._

_ "I mean, I'm no devil fruit user, but I'm pretty sure swimming all the way to your ship would be tiring," Ken sighed. He glanced around him, unsure as the waves continued to wash over his ankles. "What do I do?"_

_ "Do you know how to walk?" Sora asked, sounding concerned._

_ "Shut up."_

_ Sora giggled. "Just walk. You still trust me or not?"_

_ "You know the answer to that."_

_ "Then just take a step forward and let's go eat," Sora said, taking a step herself, still holding onto Ken's hand. Ken did as he was told and he felt a slight breeze, and looked down. He, too, was standing atop the water, pulled in when the waves receded. Sora continued to walk as though strolling through a park. Ken stared in awe as he seemed to be stepping across a pathway of air. He felt his body drop slightly with each step, bending the air as though he were walking in fine sand. The bottoms of his feet even grazed the surface of the ocean. He glanced behind him to see that the slight breeze was fading behind him – the only way to go was forward._

_ "Your fruit is pretty neat. You can walk on _air_," Ken said, grinning at Sora after some time of walking in silence. He had become so captivated with his surroundings that he had almost forgotten that he and Sora were holding hands. He squeezed her hand, looking around himself excitedly. He could see the silhouettes of fish below him, as though they were looking up, curious to see humans walking on the surface of the water._

_ Sora laughed. "Thanks."_

_ "Can you fight with it?" Ken asked, suddenly interested. How strong had she become in the past five years? How strong had she become aboard Whitebeard's ship? He was curious to see her newfound strength._

_ "Yep."_

_ "Let's go a round. I'd love to kick your ass again," Ken challenged._

_ "Please, Ken, I'm going to give you such a bad spanking that you won't be able to sit for days," Sora shot back. _

_ "Have you forgotten my 266 wins?"_

_ "Um, have you forgotten that you bought me ice cream 266 times?" Sora scoffed. "I obviously win because I got 266 free scoops of green tea ice cream courtesy of you."_

_ "I only bought you ice cream 'cause I didn't want to make the little girl cry," Ken replied, and Sora just rolled her eyes. "Really, though, let's spar sometime! I want to see how much you've grown in strength. You must be pretty beastly now, huh?"_

_ "I'm _awesome_," Sora said as a matter of fact. She gestured at the ship that towered over them. "And up we go." Ken felt another gust of wind and they were lifted into the air, brought over the railing and landed gently on the deck of the _Moby Dick._ Ken couldn't believe it. Any other marine would kill to step foot on this ship and capture all the pirates aboard. Some of the world's most wanted men – Whitebeard, _Fushichou _Marco, Diamond Jozu, _Kaken_ Vista – were aboard this ship, and Ken was here, standing on the same even ground with these dangerous men. But none of that mattered to Ken. _

_Sometimes, he felt like he wasn't meant to be a marine because he didn't care about trivial things such as status, when to other marines – namely Sakazuki – it was the only thing that mattered. But it wasn't like he could the marines now. He had _nakama _there, and cared about everyone in his division. He had people to protect, and he knew that not all pirates were as kind as Sora or her _nakama_._

_ "Everyone's downstairs," Sora told Ken, leading Ken towards the source of the noise. She pushed open the door to the dining room and Ken was greeted with loud chatter and laughter, food flying in all directions as the pirates aboard the _Moby Dick _feasted. _

_ "Sora!" called a man from a table, waving broadly. Ken recognized him as Thatch, one of the pirates he had met earlier that day. He made big gestures for Sora to come sit with them, and he waved at Ken. "Oy, Takamune, too!"_

_ "Come on, let me introduce you to the other division commanders," Sora said, pulling Ken towards them. "Hey, guys," she greeted the men, sitting down next to Marco. Ken sat beside her, and held out his hand for the pirates to shake as she introduced him to several more division commanders. To Ken's relief, they were all friendly, even though they recognized him as the _Meitou _of the Marines._

_ "Mm, Ken – do you mind if I call you Ken? – did you know that our little Sora is the _second division commander_?" Izou asked, pausing a bit from shoveling food down his throat._

_ "Really?" Ken asked, looking eager to hear the story. "Second division commander?"_

_ "No," Sora said, waving her hands sheepishly. "I'm not."_

_ "Oh, shut up, yes you are," Izou said, waving her off. "_Oyaji _offered her the job a thousand times. She insists on turning it down until she can 'prove her loyalty', which everyone thinks she's already done. I mean, look at her tattoo!"_

_ "Wow, that's really amazing, Sora," Ken said, ignoring Sora's protests. "Second division commander. You must be so strong now." The pirates chuckled as Sora flushed at Ken's praise. He turned to the men and smiled. "You don't mind if I take some food, right?"_

_ None of them minded, so Ken grabbed some food and started to eat. He never thought the path of his life would lead him here; he was having a feast with the Whitebeard pirates. He looked beside him to Sora, who was gorging herself in food and smiled to himself. She fit in here._

_ "Oh, yeah, so how's my little brother?" Ken asked Sora when she paused in eating._

_ "Mmm, Kohaku? He's doing good. He's starting school this year, I think," she said, smiling as she remembered. Takamune Kohaku was Ken's little brother, but unfortunately, Ken was so much older than Kohaku that he needed to leave the kid behind to fulfill his own dreams. He always made sure to mail his brother gifts from the islands he visited, however. Ken and Sora had spent so much time together that Kohaku began to address Sora as '_aneki_', 'older sister'._

_ "That's good to hear," Ken said with a grin._

_ "You have a little brother?" Haruta asked, his eyes wide with interest._

_ Ken nodded. "Yeah. He's back at home; he's a really nice kid. Maybe if you guys come by Arashi Island sometime, you can meet him."_

_ The division commanders seemed a little surprised by this. They were…invited to someone's hometown? They were hated men. _Pirates_. But yet this _marine_ was acting like they were just normal civilian friends he had just met in a bar. But they all smiled kindly and nodded as though accepting that invitation. It felt nice to be treated on equal grounds._

_ "Oh, actually, that reminds me, I have something for you," Ken said, and pulled something out of his bag. It was a bracelet with a tiny glass ball on top, a compass inside. "I found some eternal logs that lead to Arashi Island," Ken said proudly. Sora took one gently, shocked. Because Arashi Island had no effect on log poses, Sora thought that they wouldn't have a log pose leading there. She always wondered how she would indeed return home but figured she could deal with it when the time came. "In case you wanted to go visit home and take your _nakama_, too," he said, patting her on the head._

_ "When are you going to be going home?" Sora asked, strapping the log pose onto her wrist. "You have one, too, right?"_

_ Ken nodded. "Yeah, I'll be going soon. After my retreat I have to go back to Marineford for some other business stuff and then I'll take a vacation and go home," he said, shrugging as though he could do whatever he wanted in the marines. Sora wondered if the Admirals or Fleet Admiral ever got on Ken's case about his tendency to not like to sit around. She also wondered how he got such a respectable title, considering that Sora did know how Ken tended to be sometimes._

_ "You can do that?" Jozu asked, obviously thinking the same thing._

_ Ken shrugged. "I don't know," he answered honestly, laughing a little. "I don't really like to be on duty all the time. I don't really care about that stuff. But shh, Sakazuki doesn't know. That man is terrifying," Ken said, and pretended to shudder. The division commanders laughed._

_ They spent the rest of the night eating and talking and drinking. Ken had, of course, scolded Sora playfully about drinking while he continued to drink every mug of beer she tried to bring back to the table for herself. Soon, the division commanders retired, Marco being the last._

_ "Don't go to sleep too late," he said, ruffling her hair before leaving. Sora noticed he had been rather quiet throughout dinner, but she shrugged it off. He was probably just tired._

_ "Have something tomorrow?" Ken asked, standing up. He rolled his shoulder blades back and raised his arms to stretch._

_ Sora shrugged. "Ah, sort of. Marco filled me in on some stuff that I can do for _Oyaji_," she said, shrugging._

_ "I was wondering. You call Whitebeard '_oyaji_'. Why?"_

_ Sora smiled and shrugged again, standing up and following Ken out onto the deck. "I don't know. I never really had a father I guess and I'm really taken care of here. Everyone here calls Whitebeard that. We're a family."_

_ They reached the end of the deck, leaning against the railing. Ken turned to her and smiled. "That sounds nice. I'm really happy for you."_

_ "You're really not upset that I became a pirate?" Sora asked, speaking cautiously as though treading on sensitive grounds._

_ "Nah, I already said it doesn't matter," Ken chuckled. "I always kind of knew that you weren't going to become a marine." Sora narrowed her eyes at this, and Ken held up his hands in defense. "No, no, not because I thought you were weak or anything. Just because the more I got involved with the marines, the more I began to wonder when you would come and if you would even like it. There are a lot of rules to follow, you know. I just get to conveniently, occasionally break them. I'm surprised they promoted me to a captain._

_ "But out here…I don't know. You're wild and unpredictable. You need to be out on the ocean, having your own adventures, not confined by wearing a stupid uniform. You came to Arashi Island from the outside and even when we were younger I always saw that sort of fiery adventure in you; I knew you couldn't stay there forever. Your spirit of adventure is a lot stronger than mine and I've always admired that. I feel like it'll take you far in life."_

_ Sora smiled at Ken's kind words, hooking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess. I don't really know what I'd do if I ended up having to stay on Arashi Island," she laughed. "Not that I hate everyone there because I do love everyone. I just love this life, you know? More than I thought I ever could."_

_ "I'm glad," Ken told her. "Imagine being stuck in that place," he said, making a face. "Unable to sail out to sea and to fight and have adventures and have _nakama_. How boring would that be?"_

_ Sora giggled. "Tell me about it. I miss home, and Eiichi, and Kohaku, and Michio guys sometimes but I would _never _live there. The sea will always be my home."_

_ "You happy being a pirate?"_

_ Sora looked up and Ken and grinned. "Happier than I've ever been, and ever will be. You happy being a marine?"_

_ Ken smiled, and nodded. "I've got my own _nakama_, too. They make the job less annoying. Plus, I'm pretty famous, so it's kind of great."_

_ "I'm happy that we are both happy."_

_ The silver haired man chuckled, feeling the wind against his cheeks. "Me, too."_

_ "Doesn't that make us enemies, though?" Sora asked._

_ "Why?"_

_ "Well, I'm happy being a pirate, and you're happy being a marine. Doesn't that make us enemies?"_

_ Ken smiled, and didn't hesitate in answering, "Nope."_

_ Sora grinned up at him. "Awesome."_

_ "Tomorrow, let's meet up again after your campaign," Ken suggested._

_ "It might take a couple of days," Sora said, frowning slightly. "This is actually my campaign to be second division commander. Marco got word that a ship is headed this way. I'm going to intercept them and offer them to _Oyaji_. But shh, it's a secret. Don't tell Izou."_

_ Ken chuckled and nodded. "Okay, well you have the _den den mushi_, right? It's only a small one, so it can only communicate within the radius of this island. We should go out and get bigger ones, so I can contact you when I'm out at sea."_

_ "Oh, I don't want to get in the way of work," Sora said, shaking her head._

_ Ken sighed, knowing what she was really worried about. "I copped a white _den den mushi_," Ken assured her. White _den den mushi_s were able to block out any signals from black snails that were used for intercepting calls. "Come on, I'll pay for yours and everything. Otherwise, how would we keep in contact when we're apart?"_

_ Sora smiled. "Okay. Since you're paying and everything."_

_ "Awesome," Ken said, tousling her hair. He kept some strands in his fingers, examining her hair and face. "I thought it'd take a little getting used to – your short hair – but I like it. It makes you look older. Like, sophisticated, but cute at the same time."_

_ "You have girl hair."_

_ Ken rolled his eyes at her comment and Sora laughed. "I don't know how many times I told you to cut it. But it looks better long like this instead of mega-girly when it was at your shoulders," she teased, and Ken laughed, pushing her._

_ "I'm really glad you haven't changed," he told her, and Sora seemed surprised by this. _

_ "Now that I think about it, I don't really care much your hair."_

_ Ken laughed again, keeping his hand on her cheek. He spoke softly now, his tone becoming gentle. "Would it be weird if I said I wanted to kiss you right now?"_

_ "Why would that be weird?" Sora asked, raising her eyebrow. She tried to stay nonchalant despite her racing heart._

_ "I don't know, maybe 'cause the last time I saw you, you were like, eleven, and now you're this beautiful woman who just…amazes me. Maybe it'd be weird for you, I don't know, or maybe you're dating someone on the ship. Don't want to cross any lines, you know. I could die here," Ken joked with a shrug._

_ Sora laughed. "Not dating anyone."_

_ "Cool," Ken said, nodding. "You can date me, then."_

_ Sora smirked. "Isn't this going a little too fast?"_

_ "Do you think it is?"_

_ "I don't know, is it?"_

_ "What are we playing, twenty-one questions?"_

_ "You forgot that I don't care for that game, do you?"_

_ "Are you going to keep this up?"_

_ "Are you ready to challenge the question master?"_

_ "Do you want me to kiss you?"_

_ Sora smiled. "Yes."_

_ "Awesome," Ken said, and closed the distance between their lips, pressing his against hers very gently, and Sora inhaled slightly, caught off guard. Ken's lips were light against hers, almost cautious, half afraid that Sora would freak out and flee, but instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and Ken leaned forward, deepening the kiss._

_ It was cliché, but it was fireworks. Ken's chest tightened, but his heart pounded quickly, ready to burst from his chest. He had waited. He had waited for her for five years, waited for her to grow up and become the woman he always knew she could be. And it was worth it. _So _worth it._

_ They broke the kiss, out of breath, and pressed their foreheads together, Sora biting her lip as she smiled. "Be with me," Ken whispered. _

_ "I'm with you right now," Sora giggled, and Ken pulled her closer._

_ "Be with me, always. Even when you're thousands of miles away," Ken said. "I don't want to lose you again."_

_ Sora laughed. "You never lost me; I was always right behind you."_

_ Ken grinned. "Then stand beside me now," he said. _

_ "Someone's gotten more romantic in the five years we haven't seen each other. I can feel my heart beating really fast and the stars are exploding in my eyes. Is this real, or is this fantasy?"_

_ "Why do you need to ruin every nice moment we ever have?" Ken laughed, rolling his eyes and shoving her away playfully._

_ "Uh, hello, five year reunion was today? This is like, our first nice moment."_

_ "We can have many more."_

_ "Are you sure that's okay?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I'm going to be the second division commander soon, and you're a big shot marine. I mean, no one will care here, but I don't know if that'd go down so well with your friends in the marines. Admiral Akainu might through a hissy fit and come after you."_

_ "I'm not stupid," Ken said, shaking his head. "This isn't something I'm going to broadcast. This isn't for other people. It's for me and you."_

_ Sora seemed to think about it for a while and shrugged. "Why not? I mean, it'll keep me occupied, I guess."_

_ Ken pushed her lightly, and Sora laughed. "So, we're together, then?"_

_ Sora grinned and brought her lips to his in a light kiss. "Forever."_

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the support! Reviews are appreciated, and thanks for reading :)**


	22. Chapter 22: Ask Me

Sora awoke with a pounding headache, a tattoo drilling itself on the inside of her skull. She groaned, rolling over to shield herself from the sun. She looked up slightly, her eyes crusted over, and was surprised to not see Ace lying next to her. Propping herself up, she felt the loose linen around her shift. Whose shirt was this? And why wasn't she wearing a bra?

She took a deep breath, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What the hell," she mumbled into the empty room. What time was it? What_ day _was it? What the hell happened last night? Sora probed through her memory, trying to latch on to a single clue that would give her the answer, but she couldn't find a thing.

The woman crawled out of bed, needing to use the bedstand and her vanity and the walls to reach the door. She hobbled downstairs, her hair sticking up in every which direction. "Oh, hey," greeted a voice and Sora looked up to see Ace. He had apron tied around his waist and was returning with a worn out black tray.

"What are you doing?" she groaned, her voice scratchy from sleep. She lumped into a barstool and put her head on the table.

"I figured I'd let you sleep," Ace said, and turned around to grab another tray of food. He handed it to some customers at the bar, who thanked him afterwards. "Are you feeling okay?"

"What the hell happened last night? I don't remember anything," she said, rubbing her temples. Her eyes were shut so she missed the way Ace's expression dropped ever so slightly. It was gone when she opened her eyes again.

"You got pretty drunk," he teased, grinning. He was not about to show her that he was a little disappointed.

"Oh, dear, God," she groaned. "Did you draw on my face?" She touched her face as though trying to feel for the markings.

Ace laughed and shook his head. "Nope."

"Did I strip?"

"Yup."

Sora sighed, dropping her head to the table as though this were a regular thing. "This always happens. Damn that daiginjo." She propped her head up by resting her chin on her hand. Her head felt so heavy she felt like this was the only way to keep her face up. "You don't have to do that, you know."

Ace looked confused. "Do what?"

"Oy," called the kitchen impatiently and Ace turned to see a tray with food ready to be delivered. He checked the tag and tossed.

"_Hai_," Ace called back, taking the tray and quickly making his way to the table it was addressed to. He returned to see Sora staring at him with her brows furrowed.

"That."

"What?"

"Work."

Ace chuckled. "It's okay. I don't mind. Go upstairs and rest." He glanced at the clock, wiping his hands on his apron. "Eiichi is letting me go on break in a little while, so I'll come up with breakfast, and orange juice or something, okay? Wait for me."

Sora was bewildered. Ace had woken up early and taken Sora's shift at the bar. And he wasn't complaining. He wasn't teasing her either. He was encouraging her to go lay around like a vegetable while he nursed her hangover. "Are you sure?" Sora asked, not really positive what she was going to do if Ace took it back and she had to work. Sora wasn't even sure she could walk.

Ace laughed and nodded, patting her on the head gently. "Go upstairs. I'll be there in a bit."

"Okay," Sora said reluctantly, swiveling the chair for a little and hopping off. She stumbled slightly, and Ace quickly grabbed her arm, helping her stand.

"You okay?"

Sora nodded, and Ace helped her get to the banister. She hated hangovers. She hated drinking. And yet apparently, she had given the Whitebeard crew yet _another _strip show. She really needed to work on that problem. Maybe wear some clothes with locks. Or armor.

Sora latched onto the banister and used it to drag herself up the stairs, Ace making sure she reached the top with no problem before being called back to grab more food from the kitchen. Sora pushed open the door to her room and nearly dropped to the ground. She forced her legs to work and collapsed onto her bed, groaning.

She turned her head and glanced up slightly, noticing a white shell on her nightstand. She furrowed her brows at it. Was that a tone dial? Coral was the only person Sora knew that had a tone dial. She scoffed. What the hell was Coral's shit doing in her room?

Sora shook her head, feeling her brain jiggle with the motion and plopped her head back down onto the bed. She didn't want to think that way about her friend. Coral was like a younger sister to Sora. Sora looked up again, examining the shell again, this time noticing a sky blue ribbon tied around it. She crawled towards it, grabbing it off the nightstand and untying the ribbon.

Sora pressed the top of the tone dial with a click, and heard some static noise for a moment, and some shuffling around. Then quietly, Sora heard a piano playing, high notes alternating for an introduction, slowing to a stop before the bottom chords came in, continuing a melody Sora didn't recognize. It was a ballad, sweet and slow, notes dancing together and blending together unlike anything she had ever heard. It was soft and delicate, but at the same time, strong, bottom chords being struck slightly harder with the sweeter upper keys following gently, contrasting just as strongly as a hurricane to a light summer shower. The piece was roughly three minutes long and ended quietly, notes trailing off, and then Sora heard a voice, "Happy birthday, Sora."

It was Ace. Ace had recorded himself playing the piano for her. Sora couldn't breathe. This was perhaps the most amazing gift she had ever received. She could listen to his music everyday, and hear his voice, too.

And then everything came rushing back. His music was like a trigger, and Sora suddenly felt overwhelmed. She remembered most things – how she had smashed the beer bottle, and taken off her clothes. She remembered bits and pieces of what she said and what he said, too.

_Distance doesn't matter, I'll still be with you forever._

Sora was struggling for air. Did he really say that? Did he really _mean_ that? Why in the world would he even _think _about something like that? He was a pirate – _a pirate! _– for Christ's sake! He shouldn't go around saying those kinds of unbearably sweet things!

"Did you like it?" Ace asked from the doorway, and Sora looked up to see Ace standing in the doorway holding a tray of food and a small table for the bed.

Sora sat up as Ace made his way over to her, placing the table against the bed and the tray on the sheets. He reached down to open the table and Sora reached out, grabbing his wrist. "It was beautiful," she said, completely taking Ace off guard. He expected her to fire a snarky comment his way. She took her hand back, placing it over the tone dial, holding the shell to her chest. "I'll treasure this forever. Thank you so much."

Ace needed to blink several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He regained his senses and flashed her a grin. "Yeah, no problem. I'm glad you like it. I don't play for just anyone, you know. I made Coral leave the piano shop while I recorded."

Sora smiled, dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Thank you."

"Of course," Ace said, setting up the table. "Sit up against the bed board," he told her, and she obliged. Ace moved the table over her lap and put food on it. "I know it's normally for colds and stuff, but here's _ocha _rice, some orange juice, and toast," he said, announcing the food as he placed it gently onto the table. "I'd give you cheese but I don't know if that'd make you nauseas."

"Thanks for breakfast," Sora said, for some reason already feeling a little better from just hearing Ace's song. "What's the title of your song, by the way?" she asked as she took a bite from the toast and poured some _ocha _tea into her mouth. She wondered if it was okay to eat right now, thinking that maybe she would regret it if she felt sick later.

"It's embarrassing."

"That's a lame name for a song."

Ace chuckled. Sora was back. "No, I mean the title is embarrassing."

"Well, what is it, then?"

"_Aoi Sora_."

Sora swallowed her food, staring at Ace. _Aoi Sora. _Blue Skies. "That's a pretty name. Only because my name is in it, though. Aren't you going to eat?"

Ace shook his head. "Nah, I already ate earlier." He paused for a moment. "Do you…really not remember anything from last night?"

"Nope," Sora lied, continuing to eat. What else could she say? If she said she did remember she would be in the most awkward position ever. She didn't want to be in that position, no, sir, so she needed to avoid it at all costs. She thought back for a moment and the color drained from her face. She had attacked Ace, hadn't she? She had _attacked _him. She vaguely remembered the feel of his hot skin under hers, her tongue running up his neck.

But what had Ace done? She turned her head away from Ace and blinked several times. Ace had done nothing. Ace had pushed her off and sent her to bed without as much as a second glance at anywhere inappropriate. It was so unbelievable Sora wasn't even sure she was remembering right.

"Oh, well, too bad," Ace teased. "You were pretty stupid."

"I should start charging people for watching me strip," Sora said, pouring the rest of the _ocha _rice in her mouth. It was still hot and it completely warmed her body on the way down to her stomach.

"Or you could just not strip."

"Or I could just not drink."

"That, too." The two shared a laugh. Ace knew he had to say something. Sora wasn't drunk when he had laid her on the bed before the party. He could still see the marks on her neck that he had left, and felt ashamed all over again. Just because he didn't allow her to move any further with him while she was drunk didn't make up for what he had done.

He wanted to talk to her about it now. Like, _right now_. But he couldn't find the words. "Who are those from?" Sora asked, gesturing to Ace. He followed her finger and touched his collarbone. He probably should not have worn a V-neck shirt today, but it was all he had left in his clean laundry. He should probably do the laundry later.

"Vampire bugs. Heard they're pretty common here."

"Oh, yeah, totally," Sora said. She decided to pretend for a little longer. She wondered what Ace was going to say. "You know, if they're from Coral, you can just tell me."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Yeah, I mean, I don't care. She's a little young for you but I'm not one to judge a man's preferences. Did you sleep with her?"

Ace was completely serious, no signs of jesting splayed across any part of his face. "No, I didn't."

Sora shrugged as though she didn't believe him. "Okay."

Ace decided not to say anything to that. If she didn't remember, then maybe that was better. He didn't want her to feel awkward around him. Besides, that had been a one-time thing. He didn't need their friendship to be ruined over something as trivial as this. So, all Ace could say was, "Okay."

"Thanks again for breakfast," Sora said, finishing up her toast and orange juice. Ace smiled at her and took the table from her lap, placing it on the ground.

"You should just rest today, though," Ace said, patting her on the head. Sora shrunk down into her bed. She was instantly regretting eating all that food. Ace chuckled. "Let me take care of everything today. Just sleep and recover. I'll bring you up some water in a bit."

"Hmmmm," Sora hummed, pulling the blanket over herself.

"Call me if you need anything. Throw up in the trashcan if you have to. Sorry, I'm not cleaning that up."

"I shouldn't have ate all that food," Sora groaned, curling into a ball.

"Sleep for now then, okay?" Ace kissed the top of her head. "I'll be back later."

"Mmkay," Sora said, closing her eyes as she tried not to have all the food she just ate end up on the floor and all over her bed.

Ace smiled, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Sora slept for most of the day, only getting up to use the bathroom and to get water, but otherwise was rather bedridden. Ace worked downstairs all day, taking Sora's shift at the bar. He was actually starting to get the hang of this, and it was much harder than it looked.

Upstairs, Sora was replaying Ace's song over and over again. It lulled her to sleep and when she woke up form another nap, she tapped the top of the tone dial again, the now familiar melody filling her ears and then she would drift off to sleep. She knew she needed to thank him. He had been there for her last night, not letting her embarrass herself in front of her _nakama, _and not taking advantage of her while she had been drunk, and he had been there for her today, bringing her food and water periodically, and checking up on her every hour. This man…cared for her. She knew it. She _knew_ that he did. He never needed to say anything; Sora just knew.

She couldn't stay awake any longer, though. Regardless of all her naps throughout the day, she was exhausted. It would have to wait until tomorrow.

Ace needed to apologize. Damn, every time he went upstairs to bring her water, she was asleep and he couldn't say a thing. He wondered if she hated him and she was just being nice. He would wait. It was past dinnertime now, so he would bring her something small to eat and then he would wait for her to wake up. And then he would apologize. If he never said anything, he would regret it forever.

Ace pushed open the door and peered inside. The room was completely dark and he could slightly make out Sora's sleeping figure on the bed. She was out for the night. He closed the door quietly and headed back down the stairs. His apology would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

"Hey," Ace said, coming down the next morning. Everything was back to normal. Sora was busy at the bar and Ace had followed shortly after, greeting her at the foot of the stairs. Kohaku was sitting on a barstool, shoveling a giant breakfast down his throat. He waved at Ace, who waved back.

"Hey," she greeted, smiling. She looked a lot better – her skin was colored, the marks on her neck were gone, and hair was neatly tied. It was like the past two days hadn't happened. Except, they did happen. Ace knew that he still needed to talk to her.

"I wanted to apologize," he said.

"I wanted to thank you," she said at the same time. They exchanged odd glances and shared a little awkwardly placed laugh.

"No, wait," Ace said, holding his hand up as he saw Sora's mouth open to talk. "What I did two nights ago, Sora, I'm really sorry. I'm ashamed of myself. I shouldn't have pressured you into that and I really hope that you're not angry about it and I don't want it to affect our friendship."

Sora laughed, waving him off. "No, it's fine," she said, surprising Ace. Sora smiled slightly at his shock and pursed her lips together, as though the next part was a little difficult for her to say. "Look, Ace. You…really pulled through for me on my birthday. I wanted to thank you sincerely for everything that you've done for me. So…I feel like you can ask me now."

"Ask you what?" Ace was confused. What was she talking about? Did she remember what happened on her birthday while she was drunk?

"Ask me what I can kind of tell you've been wanting to ask me," Sora said.

Ace thought for a while. "Uh, will you go out with me?"

Sora giggled, pushing him playfully. "No, silly," she said, and smiled. Kohaku looked up, completely shocked, food dropping out of his mouth as Sora said, "Ask me about Ken."

* * *

**A/N: Short and sweet. Reviews are appreciated, thanks for reading!~~ **


	23. Chapter 23: Red String of Fate

**SIX YEARS AGO**

_ Two years had passed since Sora first set foot on the _Moby Dick_. She had become the second division commander shortly after obliterating Kinga's ship over a year ago. Upon hearing that that man was approaching Whitebeard again after he let Kinga go so mercifully, Sora was outraged at his disrespect. Marco had let Sora take care of it and she had used a move no one had seen before – _tatsumaki dageki_ – that destroyed his ship. She had stood on Kingda's head, pressing his face into the deck as he surrendered to Whitebeard, and taken the position as second division commander._

_ Sora rarely saw Ken, but talked to him a lot through the _den den mushi _he had bought her. She knew she was in love with him; she had always been in love with him. And she was overwhelmed with excitement at the fact that he felt the same way. She had spent years trying to catch up to him, and thought that maybe, she was finally closing the gap between them._

_ "You're going to Arashi Island soon?" Ken asked when Sora had called one afternoon._

_ Sora smiled. "I'm trying to ask _Oyaji_ if I can go. I'll be leaving today or tomorrow."_

_ "Cool, I'll take off, too, and meet you there," he said, and Sora felt her chest swell with happiness. Ken, who she had spent her entire life chasing, now stood beside her. "Oh, shit, sorry, love, I have to go. I'll call again later, alright?"_

_ "Okay."_

_ "Bye for now. I love you."_

_ "Ditto."_

_ "Say it back!"_

_ "Don't you have to go?" Sora laughed._

_ "Say it back!"_

_ "Ken, I don't want you to get in trouble."_

_ "Say it back!"_

_ Sora sighed. "I L-word you."_

_ The _den den mushi _rolled its eyes and Sora giggled. "Bullshit, come on, I really have to go," Ken said, and Sora could hear people yelling '_Junshou!_' in the background. _

_ "Oh, you got promoted!" Sora said._

_ "Sora! Say it back!"_

_ "Okay, I…love you."_

_ "Awesome! Bye!"_

_ "Bye," Sora said, but Ken had already hung up._

_ "Oh, aren't you just the cutest?" Izou said, coming into the room, and Sora flushed. "Just marry him and have children! They will be the cutest kids in the world!"_

_ Sora laughed. "We had a deal about getting married."_

_ "Oh?"_

_ Sora nodded. "I have things to do first," Sora said, not divulging any more, and Izou respected that. _

_ "Well, _Oyaji _said that you can go home for a little," Izou told her. "We're all coming right? I would love to meet your little brother and all your little friends at home."_

_ "Kohaku is Ken's brother," Sora reminded Izou and the man shrugged._

_ "Family is family, right? Now come on, the advance ship is being prepared already," Izou said, opening the door for Sora. "Half of the division commanders are staying here and the other half are coming with you for the advance."_

_ Sora nodded. "Sounds good."_

_ "Are you excited?"_

_ Sora laughed; there was no trying to pretend around Izou. "Yeah."_

_ "How long has it been since you've seen Ken?"_

_ "Too long."_

_ "Still a virgin?"_

_ "I don't think that's a very appropriate question."_

_ Izou gasped, slapping her on the back. "That's a no!"_

_ "Shut up," Sora said, swatting him away as Marco approached them._

_ "You look excited," he noticed, grinning as he ruffled her hair. "Ready to go home?"_

_ "So ready," Sora said, nodding. "Are you coming with the advance?"_

_ Marco shook his head. "First division is on standby. I might be coming afterwards, though."_

_ "Oh, okay," Sora said. "As long as you come. Promise you'll come, okay? I want to introduce you to everyone!"_

_ How could Marco resist her smile? "Okay. I'll be there a few days after you."_

_ Sora grinned and nodded. "Sounds good." Sora hopped aboard the smaller ship, waving at the division commanders that stayed behind and to Whitebeard. Then she turned to the bow and lifted a hand, and the sails inflated, speeding up the ship. They were set to arrive at Arashi Island in a few days._

_ Ken was waiting for her on the beach, and Sora waded through the water as fast as she could, water splashing all around her and drenching all her clothes. Ken laughed as Sora tackled him, and he tightened his arms around her, lifting her from the earth as she squealed happily. The sun was setting, turning the sky orange and making the ocean sparkle in the distance._

_ "I thought you were never going to come," Ken said with a grin, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Even after being together for so long, Sora still felt the fireworks whenever Ken kissed her. "Hey, guys," he greeted Izou, Jozu and a few other division commanders as they made it to the shore._

_ "Long time no see," Izou said, shaking hands with Ken._

_ "Come on, let's go have a drink," he said, lacing his fingers with Sora's and starting towards the village. With his other hand, Ken fished something out of his pocket, and unfolded it. "By the way, I saw this. I probably shouldn't be praising you, but it's pretty cool." Sora looked at what he was holding to see that it was her wanted poster. "180,000,000 Beli. Gonna cause more trouble and make it go higher? I heard the World Government offered you a _Shichibukai _position."_

_ Sora laughed and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Turned it down."_

_ Ken nodded. "Of course." They reached the outskirts of the town and Ken paused for a moment. "Oh, also, while we were out at sea one time, Akira told me this story. Have you ever heard of the red string of fate?"_

_ Sora furrowed her brows. "No. What's that?" She made a motion to start walking again, but Ken stayed put. _

_ "It's an old folklore about this invisible red thread that connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance," Ken said, smiling. Ken released her hand and made a little gesture, squeezing his fingers together and stretching it out as though displaying the red thread. "The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." _

_ Sora smiled back. "That's cute." She stepped forward again, eager to see everyone at home. She wondered how Kohaku was doing, and Michio and his sons—_

_ "Yeah, I thought so, too." Ken said, not following her. Sora turned to tell him to hurry up, to find that he was on one knee, and took her hand. Izou let out a squeal and clapped his hands together excitedly, slapping Jozu on the shoulder multiple times, unable to contain himself. "You know, Sora, I always thought we'd end up together."_

_ Sora was speechless, unsure what to do or say besides stand there. "Ken, w-what are you—"_

_ "Even when we were kids, I always kind of knew that no matter where life took us, I would always find my way back to you," he continued. "And I was right. It's crazy how it all happened, don't you think?" Sora, of course, was still in shock, and couldn't respond. Ken just smiled. "You are the strongest, most beautiful woman I have ever met, Sora, and I would be honored if you would be my wife."_

_ Ken reached into his pocket and picked out a spool of bright red thread. "K-ken, we had a deal, I thought—"_

_ "Yeah, we did. When you become older and stronger, right?" Ken asked with a grin, remembering. "Well, you're eighteen now – an adult – I truly believe you've exceeded the second criteria a long time ago." Ken looked at the red string and smiled up at Sora, whose eyes were now watering. "No matter where we go in life, whether it means to walk down the path of a marine or a pirate, I will always be with you. I love you. With every fiber of my being, I love you and I will love you until the day I die and even after death. I promise to keep every promise we have made and ever will make, I promise that distance will never come between us, I promise that I will always protect you. So, Belleville D. Sora, will you marry me?"_

_ "Yes," Sora breathed, dropping to her knees to throw her arms around Ken. The crewmen and division commanders cheered loudly. "Yes," Sora said again, flicking a tear off her cheek and grinning at Ken widely._

_ "Awesome," Ken responded and flashed her a grin, his freckles rising with his cheeks. He unwound some thread and carefully tied it in a ribbon around her pinky finger. He looked at it for a moment and scratched his head sheepishly. "I was going to tie it to myself, too. I guess I should have thought that one out better."_

_ Sora laughed and kissed him, smiling. There was no other man she would rather be with._

_ "Let's get married tomorrow," Ken said, cupping her face. Sora stared into his big green eyes._

_ "Tomorrow?" Sora asked, surprised. "Isn't that a little late notice for a wedding?"_

_ "Your _nakama _are here, and we're at home. What better time and place?" asked Ken with a grin, patting her on the head. _

_ He saw Sora's spirits fall slightly. "Marco's not here."_

_ "What?" Ken realized now that the first division commander hadn't come up the beach with Sora and wondered why. He had a favor to ask of him – no, not a favor. A promise. Ken swallowed a lump in his throat. He glanced down at Sora, hiding his worry. "Can you call him and ask him to come? I have to leave in three days."_

_ "Oh," Sora said, sounding disappointed at this as well. Ken couldn't help it, though. He needed to set off to deal with Brower Adrian before he came to Arashi Island and threatened this island's entire way of living. But that came second. Everything else in the world came second to Sora. Ken wanted to make sure that Sora knew that he loved her. What better way to profess love than by a wedding? Ken would have done eventually anyway; he meant everything he said. But he hated doing this to Sora. He hated it. It wrenched his stomach and crushed his chest under an inexplicable, excruciating weight, but he needed to. He needed to marry Sora now because in three days, he might be dead._

_ "But let's make these next few days special, okay? I'm assigned a mission in three days so I have to work, but I'll be sure to call you afterwards," Ken said, smiling despite himself. He couldn't bring himself to tell Sora that there was a chance he was going to die in three days. It was cowardly, he knew it. But Ken also knew that if he ever saw Sora unhappy, even for just a second, then he wouldn't even think about the village and he would just stay at her side. He knew that was selfish. So he needed to force himself to leave._

_ Sora flashed him a smile and Ken felt all his worry eradicated completely. "Okay. I'll call him. He's gonna be my maid of honor, you know," she grinned, sticking her tongue out at Ken. "You can't steal him for best man."_

_ Ken chuckled, helping her off the sand and dusting himself off. "Fine, Izou'll be my best man."_

_ "But I want to be the maid of honor!" Izou complained, making a face like he was crying at Sora, who just giggled._

_ "Let's go back and find a _den den mushi_," Sora said, her hand finding Ken's. "I'll go call Marco and tell him to hurry up!"_

_ Ken smiled. "Okay."_

_ Sora was skipping happily, and Ken couldn't help but grin at this. For the next three days, he would make her the happiest she had ever been. And if by some miracle, he survived the mission, then he would continue to make her happy everyday for the rest of his life. _

_ A part of him, however, wished that she were a little more sensitive to other people's feelings. Ken thought that it was actually pretty obvious that the first division commander, _Fushichou _Marco was in love with Sora. Ken had an inkling of that the first day he had ever met Marco. Sora asking Marco to stand beside her as she married another man was probably not exactly on the top of his To-Do List. But Ken sighed. She was happy. That was all he could ask for._

_ Sora was skipping so quickly that Ken was forced to just let her go, smiling at her back as she ducked into the Sky Pub, one hand clutching the roll of red thread. Izou flanked him and flashed a grin. "I'm so happy for the both of you," he said, clapping his hands together._

_ "Me, too," Ken replied, shoving his hands in his pocket. His chest swelled. Tomorrow, he would be married to the woman of his dreams. Belleville D. Sora would become his wife. _

_ "How long were you planning on marrying her?"_

_ Ken smiled at the cross-dresser. "A very long time. Probably since the day I met her."_

_ Izou couldn't stop grinning, clapping his hands again. "That's so sweet. I'm sure Sora is just as happy. She talks about you a lot, you know."_

_ Ken looked as though this were surprising news and scratched his head sheepishly. "That's great," he said. "I didn't know she talks about me."_

_ Izou could tell in the man's words that he was actually serious. How could he not know how much Sora cherished him? Izou pursed his lips together for a moment, slowing down his pace and allowing the other division commanders to pass him. "Sora loves you," he said slowly. "She loves you so much. So, I think that if there's something on your mind, you should tell her."_

_ Ken's silence confirmed Izou's suspicions that there was something going on with Ken that was much deeper than just a wedding. How was it that Izou was so attentitive to people? But Ken just smiled, despite the fact that he was struggling for words. "I want her to be happy. So, even if you suspect something, please don't say anything to her. I love her. I—I don't know. Just—please. Don't mention anything. I'll tell her eventually. Just…let me do it on my own."_

_ Izou sighed, placing a hand on Ken's back. "Fine. Promise you'll tell her whatever it is that's going on with you, okay?"_

_ Ken nodded, placing a hand on the door to his bar. "Okay. I promise."_

_ "Marco, Marco, hurry up and come to the island! _Oyaji, _too! Everyone! Hurry! Like sea bunnies! Quickly!" Sora was screaming into the _den den mushi_, shaking the snail so much that the little animal actually looked sick._

_ "Woah, woah, slow down, Sora. What happened?" Marco asked, sounding concerned._

_ "I'm getting married! Tomorrow!" she squealed, catching the attention of the bar as well, the men and women erupting into cheers and smiles._

_ Ken seemed to be the only one that noticed a brief pause over the _den den mushi_. "Married? Congratulations, Sora. I'm so happy for you," Marco said, and Sora nodded as though he could see her._

_ "Thanks! We're getting married tomorrow and I want you to be my maid of honor."_

_ Marco chuckled. "I don't know if we'll really make it in time tomorrow morning."_

_ "Then we'll have it at night. That's okay, right, Ken?" Sora asked, turning to the silver haired man, who nodded. "Ken said we can get married at night. Please, Marco? Whitebeard is my father and you're my best friend. I wouldn't feel right if you two weren't there with me on my wedding day, even if it is late notice."_

_ The little snail let out a sigh as Marco did on the other line. "Alright. We'll definitely be there."_

_ Sora let out a cheer. "Thanks, Marco. This means a lot to me."_

_ "Yeah, no problem. I gotta go, so I'll see you tomorrow night okay? Congrats again and tell Ken the same."_

_ "I will," Sora promised, and hung up, turning to Ken. "Marco's coming."_

_ "Cool," Ken said with a grin. Ken had to admit that sometimes, he did get a little jealous of Marco. Marco had the privilege of seeing Sora everyday. He had the privilege of being her _nakama_, versus Ken, who only saw her a few times a year due to their occupations. It was so frustrating sometimes; there were instances when he just wanted to throw down his sword, give up being a marine and just be with Sora._

_ But he couldn't get in the way of her dreams. She seemed to love adventure – she loved the sea more than anything. She wanted to see the world and above anything else, Ken needed to let Sora do that first. Maybe one day, they coul retire together and start a family._

_ Ken chuckled inwardly. Sora, settling down? That was just as likely as the moon falling._

_ Sora grinned up at Ken. "So, do I need to buy a dress or anything?"_

_ "There's no need to be fancy," Ken said, kissing her nose. "It's just you and me."_

_ "I don't really have a lot of clothes here, you know," Sora said, looking down at herself. She was dressed in her black bathing suit and grey shorts. "I should go buy something nicer."_

_ Ken grabbed her arm as she made a move to spin off the chair. "I already said there's no need, silly," he chuckled. "As long as we're married, I don't care what you're wearing. You can wear nothing, if you want. That'd be great."_

_ Sora shoved Ken playfully, laughing. "Tomorrow night, we're gonna be married," Sora said, smiling._

_ "Yup. We'll be Mr. and Mrs. Takamune," Ken said with a grin, sitting down at the bar stool next to her. He definitely liked the sound of that._

_ Sora scoffed. "Uh, my name is still going to be Belleville D. Sora," she said, and Ken stared at her with the most neutral face he could muster. Sora poked his shoulder. "Oh, come on. This is totally a modern marriage. It's okay if I don't take your last name, right?"_

_ Ken nodded, seeming to understand. "Yeah, totally. We'll just be in one of those _modern _marriages where the husband and wife don't love each other," he said, making the saddest face he could possibly make, his frown wrinkling his cheeks and his eyebrows causing creases along his forehead._

_ Sora giggled, slapping his shoulder. "Oh, stop. If we ever have kids one day, they can be Belleville-Takamune."_

_ Ken threw his head back, howling with laughter. "Belleville-Takamune? Please, our two sons – Sano and Amano – are going to be _only_ Takamune's."_

_ "Sano and Amano?" Sora asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, first of all, those are probably the most ridiculous names I have ever heard. Second of all, we're going to have three kids, a daughter, a son, and then another daughter. Thirdly, they're going to be Belleville-Takamune kids, Jane, Sebastian, and Anne."_

_ "Three kids? Are you kidding me? You're terrible with kids. You let my little brother drink sake when he was like, five. And no matter how many kids we have ever, I'll be doing everything."_

_ "That's totally not true," Sora laughed, flicking her wrist and waving him off as though she had not, in fact, snuck sake to a toddler. _

_ "Also, Jane, Sebastian, and Anne are terrible names."_

_ "Sano and Amano are no better. They're not Bananas In Pajamas."_

_ "What the hell are you talking about?" Ken laughed, pushing Sora's grinning face away._

_ "You know, Bananas In Pajamas? Like B1 and B2 come down the stairs and they sing songs and rhyme and stuff. That sounds like Sano and Amano to me," Sora said as a matter-of-fact._

_ "I have no idea what you're talking about," Ken said, shaking his head. "You're crazy, you know that, right?"_

_ She giggled, spinning around on the chair. "I know. And I also know that I'm going to keep my name," she told Ken. She wasn't demanding, she wasn't harsh – she was gentle. It was a statement, but Ken could feel in her voice that she was, in fact, asking him._

_ "Is it that important to you?"_

_ Sora smiled and nodded. "My name is the only thing I really have to myself, you know? If that hadn't been written on that little plastic plate that had almost been washed out, when I was found here, what would I have been? Belleville D. Sora is who I am. It's the last thing I really have of my own. I'm sorry, Ken."_

_ Ken smiled, patting her on the head. "You don't need to apologize. It's fine. You can keep your name."_

_ "And you can be Belleville Kenjiro!" Sora said with a giggled and Ken made a face, shifting his hand so that he could push her face away._

_ "Definitely not going to happen."_

_ Sora smiled, chewing on her lips. "Ken, we're getting married."_

_ "We're getting married," the silver haired man repeated with a smile. _

_ "Weddings are fantastic!" Izou said, coming up behind them and slinging his arms around both Sora and Ken. "We shall drink tonight in celebration!"_

_ Sora shook her head. "Not me."_

_ "What? Come on now, Sora, you're old enough to drink. Have some fun," Ken encouraged, immediately agreeing to Izou's idea of a party tonight._

_ "Oh, I'm not too great with alcohol," Sora said, shaking her head._

_ "But you're a pirate," Ken reasoned, raising an eyebrow._

_ "So? Don't stereotype all pirates to be drunkards!"_

_ Izou's eyes widened. "You haven't seen Sora drunk, Ken?"_

_ Ken blinked several times as Sora slapped Izou's shoulder as though he divulged a secret he wasn't supposed to have. "No, I only see her a few times a year, remember? We're normally having sex. Like bunnies. Everywhere, all the time, fast and furious, furniture breaking—"_

_ Sora punched his shoulder, the man wincing and grinning at her. "Ken!"_

_ "Okay, one, details on that later," Izou told Ken jokingly, receiving a punch from Sora. "And two, you _need _to see our little baby Sora drunk. It's one of those things in life that you just need to experience before you die."_

_ Ken chuckled at Sora, who was flustered, slapping Izou on the shoulder repeatedly. "Looking forward to it."_

_ "Not gonna happen," Sora said immediately, snapping her head at Ken and sticking her tongue out. "I don't want to embarrass myself. You might not want to marry me anymore!"_

_ Ken laughed, rolling his eyes. "Come on, nothing will ever change the fact that I want to marry you," he said, and Sora pretended to still be mad at Izou as an excuse to hide the color creeping in on her cheeks. "Celebrate tonight!"_

_ "Yes, celebrate! I'll go out and get you some daiginjo_. _It probably won't be as good as _Oyaji_'s, but it _is _daiginjo,_" _Izou teased, wiggling his finger in Sora's face._

_ Izou grinned at the fact that the mention of that top of the line sake always made Sora cave. It was the crew's secret weapon. Sure, they liked to say that they banned her from drinking but sometimes, they felt it was thir job to let their second division commander relax. Or, at least that's how they justified it._

_ "Fine," Sora sighed exasperatedly. _

_ "Great!" Ken said, ruffling her hair. He turned to Izou and grinned. "So, what does Sora do when she's drunk? Is she an angry drunk? A happy drunk? A poetic drunk?"_

_ Izou smirked, tapping Sora on the nose. "Oh, you'll see."_

* * *

_ Marco shrugged on an open front white linen shirt, tying his turquoise sash around his waist. He strung on his golden belt and exhaled deeply, running a calloused hand through his tuft of blonde hair. He was happy for Sora. So, so happy. He knew how much she loved Ken._

_ But it hurt. It hurt more than a stab in the chest, more than a gunshot, more than a broken bone. No, it was a wound much, much deeper than that. He was so jealous of Ken that it kept him awake at night, clawing at his insides. Ken was the luckiest man in the entire world and more than anything, Marco just wanted to be him. He wanted to be with Sora._

_ There was a soft rapping at the door, and Marco turned with the sound. "Come in."_

_ It was pushed open, revealing a smiling Sora. She had changed into a short strapless cotton dress that rippled around her knees. Her hair was tied over her left shoulder and she was wearing an arrangement of tiny white roses near her ear. Simple white heels adorned her feet, strapping around her ankles. She seemed to glow brighter than the lights in the room._

_ "You look beautiful," Marco said sincerely, and Sora's grinned widened._

_ "Thank you," she said. "Ken told me I didn't need to get anything but I mean, I can't really wear a swim suit to my wedding, right?"_

_ Marco smiled. "Right. You nervous?" Despite Sora's smiling face, Marco knew. He memorized the way she carried herself, and tonight, her confident aura slightly less so tonight than normal. _

_ "Yeah," Sora said, plopping down on the bed. "It's crazy, huh? I love Ken so much and yet, I'm nervous about getting married."_

_ "That's normal," he said, rolling up the sleeves to his shirt. It was a casual wedding – no one was going in suits. Ken had made that very clear when everyone arrived, greeting all the division commanders by pleading them not to change clothes. That was the main thing Marco respected about Ken – Takamune Kenjiro, the _Meitou _of the Marines, didn't care that Sora was a pirate. He didn't care abut status or occupation. He treated all the men aboard the _Moby Dick _as friends. This made it impossible for anyone to hate Ken._

_ "Yeah," Sora said again. "But I don't know, it's such a big thing, you know? I'm _getting married_. I'm going to be with Ken for the rest of my life."_

_ Marco smiled. "Weren't you going to do that anyway?"_

_ "Yeah," she laughed. "But after today, it's like…for real. There's no looking back after today, you know? Like…what if something happens? What if something happens to me? Or what if something happens to Ken?"_

_ Marco patted her head gently as not to mess up her hair. "Come on, don't think like that. Today's supposed to be the happiest day of your life."_

_ Sora glanced up at Marco with those big blue eyes he loved so much. "It is. Thanks for coming, Marco. It wouldn't be the same if you weren't here with me today," she said, and stood up. She glanced down at her hands, wringing her fingers together lightly. "You're very important to me and I know I don't say it enough, and I'm sorry about that. I truly believe that I wouldn't be who I am today if you weren't always standing by my side and pushing me to become stronger. You made me Belleville D. Sora, you know. If you couldn't make it tonight, then I don't think I could stand on that altar."_

_ It was words like that. It was her sincere words that made Marco feel so loved and appreciated – more than ever before in his life – that made it impossible to ever stop loving her. No other woman had spoken to Marco like this. No other woman looked at him the way she did. No other woman was Belleville D. Sora except for the one standing in front of him. And tonight, he had to stand beside her one more time while she married someone else. It was perhaps the most painful thing in the world._

_ But he couldn't say that. No, he could never tell Sora the way he felt about her. If he ever let anthing slip then there was a chance that he could lose her forever and he would rather suffer through this unrequited love than to have her cut out from his life. Even though she said that he was the person that made her who she was today, Marco truly believed that it was the other way around. _

_ So, he just smiled, and patted her head again, pushing down his feelings. "Of course. I will always support you. You should know that by now."_

_ Sora grinned up at him and without warning, pressed herself against him in a warm embrace. "Thank you. You've always been here, saving my life, you know. You're my best friend, and I love you."_

_ Marco hugged her gently, swallowing a lump in his throat at her last sentence. She loved him. But not nearly as much as he loved her. "I love you, too." He pulled away before he let his emotions get the better of him, and grinned, putting on a façade. "Now come on. Let's get you to your wedding, alright? I'm sure Ken is waiting."_

_ Sora smiled bightly. "Yeah. Let's go."_

_ The summer air was brisk as the two of them headed to a small villa near the beach. The ceremony was going to be held here, but there were already people at the town square setting up for the reception. Tonight was an event that was going to be shared by all the people of Arashi Island, and the Whitebeard Pirates as well. _

_ Marco set Sora in a small waiting cabin. Whitebeard was lounging outside it, sippin from a bowl of sake already. Sora giggled at this, standing next to her father. "I'm actually late," Marco told her. He nodded towards the room where the ceremony was going to be held. "I'll be up there, okay?"_

_ Sora nodded. "Okay. See you there."_

_ "Yeah," Marco said, turning. He lifted his hand to wave. "See you there."_

_ Sora watched him leave, taking in a deep breath. Whitebeard glanced down at her. He had taken Ken's statement to heart and had not bothered to change out of his oversized captain's coat. Many of the division commanders hadn't either. "Excited?" Whitebeard asked, placing down the bowl and standing up._

_ The young woman glanced up at Whitebeard. "Thanks for coming, _Oyaji_," Sora said with a smile, unable to contain her enthusiasm. Her brief talk with Marco had helped ease her anxiety about being a married woman._

_ Whitebeard laughed heartily. "Wouldn't miss this for the world. Takamune is a good man."_

_ "I'm glad you think so," Sora said, clapping her hands together. It really meant a lot to her that Whitebeard approve of Ken. She was glad that he, too, didn't mind that Ken was a marine, just the way that Ken didn't mind piracy. _

_ "I wouldn't give you away if I didn't think so, now would I?" Whitebeard said, a tiny smile curling his large lips. _

_ Sora laughed. "Guess not." She paused for a moment. "Thank you for everything, _Oyaji_. You gave me something when I had nothing and truly, you are the best father any daughter could ever ask for."_

_ Whitebeard smiled warmly, patting her head with his finger as a response. What was there to say now? Sora had grown a lot in the few years Whitebeard had known her. She was a respectable, powerful woman and continued to grow stronger everyday. But it was still nice to hear that she really did think of Whitebeard as her guardian. As her father. She was indeed one of the parts to the entity that was Whitebeard's treasure – family – but she was also his only daughter. "Let's get you to Ken," said the captain, and Sora nodded, the two walking side by side._

_ Izou smiled up at Ken, who was fidgeting with the cuffs of his white shirt. "Nervous?"_

_ "I'm never nervous," Ken said, chuckling. He paused for a moment and smiled slightly. "I'm excited. I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for this, you know? Like, if I were to die tomorrow, I'd be satisfied with the way I lived my life."_

_ Izou grinned, placing a hand on Ken's shoulder. "That's how it should be." And then softer, "Have you told her yet?"_

_ Marco turned ever so slightly at the sound of this, hearing Izou's tone, but didn't say anything about it. Ken turned his eyes back to the door as it opened. "No."_

_ Ken smiled warmly. Sora had – of course – not listened to him, and bought a white dress and in the dim glow of the lanerns strung through the aisle, she looked like an angel, floating towards him. She had a tiny hand placed on Whitebeard's, and the aisle had been made large enough for the giant captain to make his way through, and Ken could see in Sora's face that she was trying so hard not to burst out into dance. She had probably watched many wedding videos within the past twenty four hours. _

_ As she stood before the altar, Whitebeard gave her that final gentle push, giving Ken a nod, and making his way towards a seat that had been specifically made to accommodate for his size. "I thought I told you not to buy anything," Ken said quietly, taking her hand._

_ "I'm not gonna get married in a bikini," Sora giggled, squeezing Ken's hand as the priest started the ceremony. Sora wasn't even listening, her eyes dancing across the room, admiring the last minute set up. The mahogany altar was decorated in arrangements of white roses, seeming to be a light orange in the glow of the lanterns hung to illuminate the place. Sora glanced out into the audience to see the division commanders in the first row, along with Michio, Eiichi, Akio, and Haruo. To Sora's side, Marco stood, listening intently to the priest as he talked about something. He gazed at Sora out of the corner of his eye and nodded towards the priest as though to tell her to pay attention, but she just stuck her tongue out at him, receiving an eyeroll._

_ All of the people that Sora loved most in the world – whether they be pirate or not – were here with her tonight. All of the people that stood behind her and pushed her to grow were here now, supporting her unwaveringly. She smiled gently at this, and felt the hot sting of tears creeping into her eyes. She turned her head to the sky, trying to blink them away, and Ken nudged her teasingly, smiling. _

_ "Do you, Takamune Kenjiro, take this woman Belleville D. Sora to be your lawfully wedded wife?" asked the priest._

_ Ken grinned. "Yeah. Of course I do."_

_ The man turned to Sora. "And do you, Belleville D. Sora, take Takamune Kenjiro—"_

_ "Forever and ever. I do," she said with a wide grin, causing Ken to sigh slightly._

_ "The rings," the priest called with a smile, and Kohaku, dressed in a white flannel and beige cotton shorts, came up, two rings on a small pillow. They were simple bands, except they were a deep crimson. Ken took one and Sora took the other._

_ "I had these made today," Ken told Sora, taking her hand. "Because no matter where we go in life, Sora, I will always love you. There's a red string that keeps us connected. We were meant to be together."_

_ Sora smiled as Ken slid the red ring onto her finger. "I don't like the color red," she responded, taking Ken's hand and doing the same, making the older man chuckle. "But I guess it'll do."_

_ "I love you," Ken said with a smile._

_ And unhesitatingly, Sora replied, "I love you, too."_

_ Even the priest couldn't help but smile. "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may—"_

_ Sora threw her arms around Ken, planting her lips onto his as the crowd cheered. Ken deepened the kiss, pulling her closer, wrapping his arms around her thin body. They were married. And Ken knew that there was no other woman he would want standing by his side besides Belleville D. Sora._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I had to rewrite this chapter because it was crappy. And it's finals week so I don't have much spare time, so please understand the slow updates this week. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks again for reading :) **


	24. Chapter 24: What It Meant To Win

_"Don't leave meeeeeeee," Sora groaned, latching onto Ken as he tried to make his way down to the beach. She tried making the most disgusting face she could to match her tone of voice. "Don't leeeaaaveeeee meeeeeee!"_

_ Ken chuckled, trying to fix his uniform. "I'm sorry, I have to go," he said, patting her on the head._

_ "Don't leeeaaaveeee meeeee," she roared like a dying animal, squeezing her arms around him tighter. Ken laughed, and kept walking, Sora being dragged onto the sand. _

_ "You're so clingy, Sora," he said, and felt her grip around his knees release immediately. _

_ She looked up at him and made a face, sticking her lower lip out and furrowing her brows so that she looked quite troll-like. "Am _not_!"_

_ Ken held out a hand and pulled Sora off the sand. "_Junshou_!" called his second in command, Akira, as he dragged a little boat to the shore. Sora glanced out and could see a marine ship out in the distance. She frowned._

_ "I have to go," Ken told Sora again. He pressed his forehead to hers. "These three days have been really great. Thank you so much, Sora. I love you."_

_ Sora laughed slightly. "You're talking like you're never going to see me again. Go do your mission and come back. We'll be here for a while."_

_ Ken smiled and nodded, patting her on the head. "Okay," he said, despite himself. "I'll see you then."_

_ He turned to leave, but Sora grabbed his wrist. "Ken," she said quietly. "You're coming back, right?"_

_ Of course. Of course she could see right through him. But Ken just turned and grinned. "Yeah. Come on, Sora. Who do you think I am?"_

_ Sora smiled, letting him go. "Okay. Come back soon, then. I love you."_

_ Ken felt his chest tighten at those words. It might be the last time he ever heard them. He pulled her in close and planted a kiss gently on her lips. "I love you so much," he whispered, ignoring Akira calling him in the background._

_ Sora smiled, tapping a finger on his nose. "Good luck dealing with Adrian," she said, and Ken blinked several times. Sora giggled at his surprise and grinned. "Come on, Ken. Who do you think I am?"_

_ So, she knew. He didn't know how or why, but regardless, he pulled her into another hug. "I'll come back to you. I promise."_

_ "I'd come with you," Sora said, and then looked at Ken straight in the eyes. "But this is something you have to do, right?" Ken nodded. He wasn't going to put her in danger. "Then, go. I believe in you. I'll be right here when you get back."_

_ "Okay," Ken said, ruffling her hair. He pulled away, waving. His confidence had been renewed. He could do this. He could stop Adrian and protect Sora and Arashi Island. He could make it back home to her. He suddenly felt a little silly for wanting to keep his mission a secret from Sora when all he really needed was her to believe in him. When she believed in him, he was invincible. _

_ He slapped Akira on the back as he hopped into the little dinghy. "Let's head back."_

_ Akira glanced down at his superior's fingers. "You're married," he said as he rowed the tiny boat. _

_ "A couple days ago, yeah," Ken replied with a grin._

_ "Thanks for the invite,_ Junshou_," Akira replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He was probably the only person in the marines that knew about Ken's relationship with the infamous pirate Belleville D. Sora. He had met her several times and was actually surprised at how sweet she was._

_ "You had to do my bidding while I was getting married to my beloved," Ken replied, and then laughed diabolically, wiggling his fingers and turning his face to the sky. _

_ Akira snorted, shaking his head. "My God. You and Sora are perfect for each other."_

_ "I know," Ken said with a grin._

_ "Don't leave her all alone," Akira said, raising both his eyebrows. "We'll back you up, _Junshou_. Just make sure you make it home to your wife."_

_ Ken smiled. "I will."_

_ "We've got word that Brower's ship is about a hundred miles north of our position here," Akira said, doing what he did best – being in command. It was convenient for Ken to have such a dedicated partner at his side, and Akira really didn't seem to mind that he took care of a lot of Ken's work. Ken was actually going to recommend Akira off his division so that he could start his own as a _Junshou_. _

_ "Then when we get aboard the main ship, we're going to intercept him quickly. I don't want him anywhere near my island, or my wife," Ken said, also shifting gears. He needed to take this seriously. If he didn't, then he really wouldn't be able to make back to Sora after all._

_ Ken climbed aboard his ship, greeting all his men with a smile and a wave. "Let's do this."_

_ Marine ships were some of the fastest in the sea, so once Akira told the helmsmen about the new coordinates, they wasted no time into redirecting the ship and sailing full speed ahead. Ken's fingers tingled anxiously, the sword at his waist suddenly feeling heavy. He was a world renowned swordsman, but today, would that be enough? Regardless of his jitters, Takamune Kenjiro refused to stand down and refused to show his apprehension. Behind him was his division – his _nakama_. Behind him was Arashi Island. Behind him was Sora. And if he broke now, Adrian would only hurt the people standing behind him and Ken couldm't live with himself if he let that happen._

_ The sound of the sea was all Ken had heard. For some reason, today, he treasured it more than ever. The ocean was the thing that had brought him to where he was today. It had led him in the path of a marine and despite the uniforms and the rules and the work hours, Ken didn't regret a single thing. His true home was the ocean. _

_ "_Junshou_," Akira's voice snapped him from his thoughts. Ken's attention was directed by Akira's at the large ship ahead. Black sails were up, bearing a jolly roger that he would never forget._

_ "Get ready for battle!" Ken bellowed to his division, and the hundred or so marines on his ship cheered and roared in return. "As marines, we will put a stop to Brower Adrian once and for all! Do _not _stand down!" His words were parried with more cheers of agreement. He turned his eyes to the front of the ship as they approached closer. He was brimming with confidence now, remembering Sora's words. She believed in him._

_ Adrian's ship fired the first cannonball, blasting into the side of the ship that made the vessel rumble. "Take them out!" Ken roared, watching as his men unsheathed their blades and cocked their rifles. He whipped out his sword_, Masamune_, blocking a blow from a pirate that had swung over to his ship. Using the back of his blade, he slammed it into the intruder's skull, and he dropped, unconscious. Ken didn't have time to bother killing small fries. He merely defended, knowing that in a matter of time, Adrian would come. He was impatient and impulsive – the completely opposite of Ken._

_ "I'm definitely not surprised you got wind of me coming here."_

_ Ken whirled around to see Brower Adrian standing with his head cocked, his dirty blonde hair falling into his black eyes. He was dressed in a plaid open front flannel and loose cotton pants, a sword hanging off his hips. He looked quite casual for the captain of a ship. _

_ "You're not getting anywhere near Arashi Island," Ken said immediately, and sheathed his sword. He kept his hand over it, though, ready to draw at a moment's notice. His _Iaidou _was much faster now._

_ Adrian's hands flicked down to Ken's hands briefly, and the corner of his lip was pulled up into a smirk. "Oy, oy, got married didn't you? That Belleville D. Sora is young but she's a sexy bitch, isn't she?"_

_ Ken narrowed his eyes slightly. "Don't speak about her that way."_

_ "Ah, don't worry, I'm not going to rat you out or anything," Adrian said, flicking his wrist as though waving Ken off. "Although, that would cause problems for you with some of your marine friends, eh? The famous Takamune Kenjiro getting married to a dirty pirate like Belleville."_

_ "I said don't speak about Sora that way," Ken snapped, annoyed now._

_ Adrian just laughed, shaking his head. When he looked at Ken again, Ken remembered why he hated Adrian so much. Adrian's face was contorted in malice, his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes little beads in his face. "I'll talk about whoever I want the way I fucking want, Takamune," he spat viciously. "I'll fuck your slutty little wife, kill her, and then kill you. So shut the fuck up and don't think that for one second you can tell me what to do!"_

_ Ken tore forward, whipping out his blade and slashing as fast as he could, outraged. How dare Adrian talk about Sora so vulgarly. Adrian dodged, rolling out of the way, flipping over to slam a kick at Ken's head. Ken evaded, and when he looked up at Adrian again, the man was pulling something out of his pocket._

_ "Interested?" he asked, snapping a little pill and tossing it into his mouth. He threw his head back, swallowing it, and then shuddered, squeezing his fists open and closed. "I come from Kagakushima; we're known for our chemistry and prowess in medicine. I decided to go a different route, though."_

_ He held out his arm and Ken saw that thick spikes were exploding from his skin, tips razor sharp and glistening in the afternoon light. "I've been studying devil fruits my entire life and I have developed pills that can copy abilities," he boasted, smirking at Ken's shock. In an instant, Ken saw Adrian's face in front of his and barely backed up in time to dodge his arm slamming down. The spikes tore through the slats on the ship, wood flying everywhere. If Ken had been hit by that, he would probably be dead._

_ Adrian winced for a moment as his arm returned to normal. "They're the most versatile, so I can do only the paramecia types I've seen," he informed Ken, squeezing his fist open and closed. _

_ "So, you've made a pill that can copy devil fruits," Ken said, narrowing his eyes. "What are you planning on doing with that? Are you planning to mass produce and sell it?"_

_ Adrian scoffed. "As if. What I've made is revolutionary; I know that already. But I'm not planning on making money from it. All the pills are DNA specific – only to mine. If you took one, you'd die. It keeps people from copying me, you know?" he added arrogantly, cocking his head. _

_ Ken thought for a moment as Adrian snapped another pill, popping it into his mouth. Ken made a move to burst forward, but he was suddenly rocket punched in the face, and stumbled backwards for a moment, slashing behind him as Adrian tried to move. He glanced at Adrian, who was, again, squeezing his fists open and closed._

_ Paramecia type devil fruits were versatile, yes, but all devil fruits come with a price: becoming an anchor. It was an even exchange. The greatest strength for a pirate, with the greatest setback for a pirate. But because Adrian hadn't consumed a fruit, but used the powers of one – no, of many – there had to be a set back to his technique. And in an instant, Ken knew what it was. One attack. Adrian had one attack per pill before he needed to take a new one. That was his chance._

_ Adrian cracked another pill and threw his head back, this time, his arm covered in a thick white liquid, like wax. It formed itself into a rather large axe that was connected to Adrian's body. Ken furrowed his brows. Adrian's pills were fast working chemicals that altered the user's DNA itself, the same way that devil fruits did. Except it wasn't just one time, it was many times, and in many different ways. _

_ Ken smirked slightly. "You sure you want to use that many pills against me? I bet you get sick afterwards, huh? Or maybe lose a few years off your lifespan? The constant forced morphing of your physiology can't be great, can it?"_

_ Adrian let out a sharp cackle. "As it that matters to me," he snapped. "Every two pills take about a year of my life, and yeah, I do get a little sick sometimes. But that doesn't matter as long as I fucking kill you." _

_ "I assure you that that is _not _going to happen," Ken hissed, and lunged forward, slashing out in front of him. Adrian blocked with the axe and sparks flew as Ken tried to push through the surprisingly strong wax. Adrian was having difficulty pushing Ken off as well, and in one final burst of strength, Ken cut through Adrian's guard, breaking the wax and spilling Adrian's blood onto the deck. The pirate clutched his now injured hand, hopping backwards._

_ "I am the _Meitou _for a reason," Ken said, flicking the blood from his sword and sheathing it again, receiving a nasty glare from Adrian. Adrian rushed him, enraged, drawing his sword and slicing wildly. With Ken's speed, he was able to backstep and use his footwork to slip away from Adrian and dodge his parries, keeping his hand over his sword. _

_ "Stop fucking running away from me Takamune!" Adrian shrieked, his movements becoming more rapid and more wild and in a quick motion was able to catch up to Ken's speed, slicing his shoulder. Ken leapt backwards, confused. Was there something else Adrian was using?_

_ The blonde pirate licked the rivulet of blood from his sword, flashing a grin that looked more like baring his fangs. "My body is like a living chemistry set," he informed Ken, shifting his flannel to expose a series of thin tubes with liquids pumped into his body. "Chemicals to increase physical strength, speed, endurance. There's no fucking way you will come close to surpassing me, Takamune." He fixed his shirt, smirking._

_ This was why Ken was never able to surpass Adrian. As a swordsman, Ken knew that Adrian was actually quite good, but in comparison to Ken, Ken was much better endowed. It was all of Adrian's tricks and poisons that made him formidable. He didn't use his own physical strength and instead relied on his knowledge of medicines to push him over the top. It was what infuriated Ken. Had Adrian just been another sword-wielding pirate, Ken would have finished him long ago. The man was a cheater. _

_ Ken's grip tightened on his blade. Cannonballs exploded around him, but the clangs and roars of the two crews brawling were drowned out by Ken's overwhelming determination. Regardless of what happened in the past, Ken needed to end this today. _

_ Adrian dug one more pill from his pocket, popping it into his mouth. "This is the last one I brought today. So, I'm gonna kill you right now," he said, swallowing. He opened and closed his fist, Ken watching as his bloodied arm became coated in steel._

_ "Other way around," Ken told him, and simultaneously, they rushed each other, their quick battle's final attack moving so quickly that in a blink, it was over. There seemed to be a long pause between them, one waiting for the other to fall._

_ With a thud, Ken dropped to the deck, stabbing his blade into the wood to keep himself from falling over completely. He glanced at his left leg, blood flowing from it freely from a wide gash. Ken could see the muscle and a faint white slit of his bone and used all of his upper body strength to keep himself up. Adrian's sword was jabbed straight through the side of his knee. Ken blinked several times, trying to remain conscious as blood emptied from his body. That cheater had used two swords._

_ Adrian pressed a palm to his abdomen to feel warm blood flowing out of a wound so deep he was actually surprised that none of his internal organs were hanging out. He turned slightly to see Ken's hands shaking as he struggled to try and lift himself off the ground to yank out the sword protruding from his leg. Adrian smirked, whipping around._

_ "What were you saying, Takamune?" Adrian snarled, tilted his head from side to side with a sickening pop. _

_ Ken didn't say anything, fighting to stay conscious. His green eyes landed on the thick crimson liquid flowing around him. That was his blood, wasn't it? He wondered how much that was._

_ With a quick motion, Adrian tore his sword from Ken's leg, forcing the _Meitou _of the Marines to let out a roar of pain. Adrian dabbed his tongue over the blood stained blade and grinned toothily, a lion closing in on the antelope. "I told you I would fucking kill you. Too bad you didn't get to survive long enough to watch me fuck your precious wife. She's a screamer, isn't she? Belleville looks like a screamer."_

_ "Shut up," Ken breathed, the corners of his eyes darkening. Dammit! How did he lose to a cheating pirate like Adrian! _

_ Adrian slammed the blunt side of the blade into Ken's temple, knocking him aside. His sword clattered away. "I don't think you should speak to the victor that way, Takamune," he spat. "Have some fucking respect!"_

_ "Fuck you," Ken snarled, using his arms to hoist himself up. Adrian was standing over him now, sword dripping with blood._

_ "Are those your last words?" Adrian said mockingly, laughing. Ken didn't respond, glaring up at Adrian as the pirate held up his blade for the kill. He had a few minutes left in life and the only thing he was thinking about was the fact that he had let Sora down. She had believed in him and he hadn't been able to make it back home to her. What kind of husband was he? _

_ "_Junshou_!" called a voice and Ken looked up at the sound of a gunshot straight through Adrian's chest. Akira swooped in, before Adrian could move and rammed the gun into Adrian's forehead. "Retreat," he growled._

_ "What makes you think I'm going to—"_

_ "The battle is over," Akira interrupted. And it was. Adrian glanced around to see marines standing by, tossing the bodies of pirates overboard while the rest of the pirates still left on Ken's ship were swinging back over to their own, calling for Adrian. "Retreat. Don't make me say it one more time. Or I will fire."_

_ "_Taichou_," called one of the pirates, Adrian looking back at his first mate, a dark skinned man with a rifle strapped to his back. _

_ Adrian smirked, glancing down at Ken despite the gun being held to his forehead and blood dripping from his arm and chest from the sword and bullet wounds. "We're not done, Takamune."_

_ Ken was using all his strength to stay conscious. "Don't ever come near my island again."_

_ Adrian was backing up now, holding his hands up. "We're not done, Takamune," he repeated, and with that, fled the ship. Akira kept his eye trained on Adrian to make sure that he really did leave and as the tattered remains of Adrian's ship floated away, he turned back to Ken, who had finally lost consciousness._

_ Akira's breath caught as he followed the trail of blood. Ken was still losing blood quickly. He knelt at his commadore's side. "Yamada! Kinoshita! Get help!"_

* * *

_Ken burst awake, covered in cold sweat._

_ Sunlight leaked into the room through the curtains and he was breathing hard, out of breath. What happened? Where was he? _

_ "Morning, studly," said a voice, and Ken turned to the source to see Sora sitting at his bedside. She smiled slightly._

_ "Sora," he breathed and she moved from the stool to the bed, kissing him gently. "I'm sorry-I-I couldn't—"_

_ "You came home," Sora said softly, brushing the silver hair from his face. Ken noticed the bags under her now-glossy eyes as she struggled not to cry. "You came home to me. That's all that matters, okay?"_

_ "I let you down, I couldn't beat him, Sora."_

_ "It's okay," she said, placing another kiss on his lips. "You're okay. That's all that I care about, Ken."_

_ Ken paused and let out a breath. "I love you."_

_ Sora smiked and lifted a finger to flick a tear from her eye. "I love you."_

_ He rolled his shoulder blades back, stretching. He felt a little better. Maybe the injuries he sustained hadn't been so bad. "Do you, um, want to get lunch?" he asked, and in one motion, managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed._

_ "Ken—" Sora started, but Ken already stood up. He let out a grunt as he put pressure on his left leg and instantly dropped to the ground. Sora scurried to his side, helping him up. Ken looked down at the lower half of his body, seeing that under the cotton shorts he was wearing, his leg was wrapped in thick bandages. He pressed a finger into his knee and in return received a sharp explosion of pain._

_ "They…said that you might not be able to walk again," Sora said quietly and Ken felt the world around him mute. He could never…walk again? "The wound was really deep and it damaged a lot of nerves and muscle and scathed the bone. Your knee was completely blown out." Sora looked down at her lap, her fingers shaking. "I'm sorry, Ken, I—"_

_ "No," Ken said, patting her on the head. Sora looked up to see that Ken was smiling, his freckles riing with his cheeks. "What are you apologizing for, silly? It's fine."_

_ Sora shook her head. "No, if I had just gone with you—"_

_ "Then you might not be here," Ken said. "And I couldn't…deal with that. Okay? It's fine, Sora. Don't worry. Help me up?"_

_ Sora brought herself to her feet, and Ken stretched his arms out, Sora pulling him up onto the bed. He took a deep breath. "Okay," he said quietly, smiling and nodding at Sora despite the fact that he felt like his insides were being shoved through a grinder. If he showed weakness, Sora would break and the only thing he wanted to do was make her smile. He couldn't be weak. He couldn't break down. He needed to be strong for Sora. _

_ The woman lifted a silver crutch off the wall, holding it lightly. Ken reached for it, but Sora didn't let it leave her fingers. Ken chuckled. "I need that to walk," he said, grinning. _

_ "Ken," Sora choked out, bringing her free hand to her face to cover her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks. _

_ "Hey," he said softly, placing his hand over her small hand that was curled around the clutch. "I said it's okay. It's, ah, just another hurdle, you know? I can deal with it, Sora. Please don't cry," he said, hearing his own voice falter. _

_ Sora continued to cry softly, her whole body shaking as she tried to hold in her sobs. "Sora," Ken whispered. "Sora, look at me." The younger woman wiped her tears away, allowing her deep blue eyes to lock with Ken's. For the first time in her life, she saw Takamune Kenjiro's eyes watering. "You're a strong woman. Please be strong for me, too, okay?"_

_ Sora choked out one last sob and then nodded. Ken held out his arms and Sora embraced him tightly, and she inhaled deeply, and then exhaled, her entire body shaking with the motion. Ken lifted Sora away for a moment, placing his hands on her cheeks with a warm smile. His lips pressed against hers lightly. "Believe in me. It'll be fine." Sora nodded, the corners of her lips turning up into a tiny smile. Ken grinned. "Alright, then. Let's go downstairs and have some lunch."_

_ Sora pulled herself up helped fix Ken with the crutch, fitting it to his body. She laced her fingers through his other hand and aided into leading him out of the room. Tiny bursts of pain shot through his leg, still, even with the crutch, but he ignored it as Sora assisted him slowly down the steps._

_ The entire bar erupted into cheers upon seeing Ken, who glanced up to see several men from his division and the Whitebeard pirates sitting together, holding up mugs. He blinked several times. Was this real?_

_ "They kind of had to find out," Sora said, smiling sheepishly. "We were all here when you came back, so there wasn't really any choice. But they won't say anything. Or we'll kill them."_

_ The men laughed at Sora's last little joke – half of them wondering if it was, indeed, a joke – Ken chuckling as well. _

_ "Let me get you lunch," Sora said, and helped Ken hobble over to the barstool next to Marco as she ducked into the kitchen._

_ The blonde man sighed slightly, his lips tilted into a smile. He patted Ken on the shoulder. "Welcome back, _Junshou_," he said._

_ Ken smiled. "Nice to be back, I guess."_

_ "Got Adrian?"_

_ "Nope."_

_ Marco blinked several times, not sure what he had heard. How was Ken still here if he hadn't beaten Adrian? Had he allowed that man to flee? But Marco didn't have time to ask as Sora reappeared with a platter of food for Ken. She placed down the rather large lunch and Ken clapped his hands together with a grin. "Thanks, love."_

_ "You're welcome," she said in a singsong voice, smiling. "You were out for a week. Figured you might be hungry."_

_ One week. Ken had been sleeping for one week and the wound on his leg still felt like he had gotten it yesterday. He felt that sinking feeling again, swirling around in his stomach, drowning him. He suddenly couldn't breathe, feeling his chest tighten. He was weak. He was _so, helplessly _weak. _

_ "Thanks," Ken said with a smile._

_ Sora returned the gesture. Ken knew that he needed to smile, even if he felt like shattering, because he needed Sora to keep smiling. If she thought that he was okay, then she would be okay._

_ The days went by as such. Sora stayed by Ken's side, night and day. It wasn't like she didn't do that normally, but it was different now. Before Ken's injury, Sora and Ken stood on their own, as two independent parties that met at the middle to be together. Now, Ken felt like Sora was slowly melding into him, losing herself in the process. _

_She used to sleep in and Ken would be greeted in the morning by Sora snuggling into him, but now she woke up extra early to take care of things around the bar. She came back up when Ken awoke and helped him down the stairs, brought him breakfast, and went wherever he wanted or needed to go. Ken appreciated her care, he really, truly, did, but he couldn't help but feel like he was burdening her._

_ "_Junshou_, we're going to be leaving in a few hours," Akira informed him. Over a month had passed since Ken's injury and he was still feeling aches in his leg. He was useless without that silver plastic at his side. Ken knew that he couldn't go back to headquarters like this. _

_ Ken patted Akira on the shoulder with a grin. "You're the _Junshou _now," he said._

_ Akira blinked several times as though he hadn't heard correctly. Sora looked up from her place at the bar. She worked full time now that Ken couldn't help out; she had to learn quickly to compensate while she and Eiichi worked on hiring other people. _

_ "Ken," Akira said, using his commadore's name. He shook his head in disbelief. "No, man, I'm not _Junshou_. You are." He used informal speech. Ken was not only his senior, but his friend. They had been working together for years. Despite the fact that Akira did a lot of Ken's work, Akira honestly couldn't imagine life in the marines without Takamune Kenjiro leading him._

_ Ken smiled weakly. "I can't be a marine like this, Akira."_

_ "Yeah, well, you can do rehab," Akira suggested, nodding with a smile. "I'm sure they'd be happy to fund a rehabilitation program for the _Meitou _of the Marines."_

_ "I can't," Ken said, still smiling. "It's been a month and my leg is stll sore when I put pressure on it. It'd take years and years of rehab for me to be able to walk even slightly normal again. And I wouldn't be able to be a swordsman anymore; it's a lot of down time that I don't get to practice." He paused briefly, making sure that he was still smiling. He had been practicing his smile, making sure that it didn't look fake, despite the fact that it always was nowadays. "I'm…okay with staying here. You'd make an awesome _Junshou_, Akira. You guys can leave without me."_

_ "You can't retire," Akira said immediately, shaking his head in disbelief. "Come on, Ken, don't just give up—"_

_ "It's an order," Ken interrupted, taking Akira by surprise. Ken turned so that his back was facing Akira, and he lifted his beer mug to his face, taking a swig to hide his face from Sora. "Leave."_

_ Akira was stunned. Ken had never been sharp with him at all. They had been friends – _nakama_. Akira pressed his lips together. "Fine," he said quietly, and reverted back to speaking politely. He bowed. "It was an honor to serve under you, Takamune _Junshou_. I will not shame our division."_

_ He saw Ken nod slightly his former commadore resting his forehead in his hands. "I know you won't."_

_ Akira averted his eyes to the ground. "Goodbye, Ken."_

_ "Later."_

_ The door jingled quietly behind Akira as he left and Sora stood, frozen. She wasn't even sure that she believed what happened. Ken kept his head down and Sora placed her hand over his. "Ken?"_

_ He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, allowing it to settle in. He was…retired now. He would probably never be able to walk normally ever again. For the first time in over a month, Ken felt his body swell with overwhelming hatred. Brower Adrian. That man had taken everything away from Ken and for a moment, Ken's mind was exploding with a white rage and the only thing he wanted to do was spill Adrian's blood._

_Ken glanced up to see Belleville D. Sora flashing him a gentle smile and suddenly…it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he couldn't walk, it didn't matter that he was no longer a marine. Sora was alive. His family here, on Arashi Island was alive. Ken may have lost to Adrian, but he had won, too, hadn't he? He had managed to protect the people he cared about most in this world and that was the only thing that mattered. Perhaps this is what it meant to win. Hollow victories were still victories._

"_I love you," was all she said, and Ken involuntarily smiled. He was alive. He could hear the woman he loved say those words to him._

_ "I love you, too."_

* * *

_"I'm gonna stay," Sora said with a smile, latching her hand onto Ken's. Before the winter set in, the Whitebeard Pirates were going to take their leave. They had spent a lot of time on the island this time around, Sora tending to Ken, but no one really minded. Everyone cared about the former marine and wanted to be there to support him._

_ Marco felt his chest tighten. Sora was going to stay? They were on the beach now; Ken had insisted on coming out to say goodbye to everyone, but even he seemed surprised with Sora's statement._

_ "Sora, what are you doing?" Ken asked, raising his eyebrows._

_ "Staying," she said, grinning at him. "I want to stay with you."_

_ "Tell her she's insane," Ken said to Marco, who only shrugged._

_ "If she wants to stay, then we support her." That was the right thing to say, right? Izou shoved Marco, furrowing his brows, and Thatch and Jozu looked concerned. Had she even spoken to Whitebeard about this?_

_ "See?" Sora said, bouncing up and down. "I want to stay here with you, Ken."_

_ "So, why are you dressed like a pirate?" _

_ It was true. Sora was dressed in her bikini and shorts as though she were going to leave today, too. "I wanted to dress up in celebration of my _nakama_ going out to sea," she said with a smile._

_ "Stop," Ken said, unraveling his fingers from hers. He captured her face gently. "Sora. What was the one thing you wanted to do?"_

_ "Be with you," she said without hesitation._

_ "Sora," the silver haired man said gently. "I can't let you do this to yourself. You can't stay here. I know you – if you stay on Arashi Island, you're going to go insane."_

_ "Psh," she said, waving him off. "I love Arashi Island."_

_ "And I do, too," Ken said with a sigh. "But I _have _to stay. You don't."_

_ "I _want_ to stay."_

_ "Sora, listen to me," Ken said, locking eyes with the woman. "Your dreams come first. Seeing the world comes first, Sora. You wanted to go on an adventure, and you have the chance to go. You're a strong woman – a great pirate – and you can't just throw that away for me."_

_ In that moment, Ken saw Sora falter, her expression wavering for a moment before returning back to her normal persistant self. He knew that he was right. He knew that she couldn't stay here. Sora belonged out on the ocean, going on adventures, laughing and drinking with her _nakama_, not trapped on a tiny island with Ken for the rest of her life._

_ "Look," he started gently, seeing as this was quite sensitive for her. "It'll be just like before. We can meet up here a couple times a year and you can tell me all about your adventures at sea. Make memories so that you can come back and tell me stories, so that _I _won't go insane."_

_ "But, Ken," Sora said, frowning, her shoulders slumping._

_ "I'll be fine, princess," he said, patting her on the head. "Don't be ashamed for choosing your dreams. I understand – I _want _you to choose your dreams. I'll always be right here, but the chance to become a strong pirate and sail the seas is now. I'll be here when you come home."_

_ Sora hesitated for a moment. "Promise?"_

_ Ken smiled. He knew that he could convince her that becoming a pirate was the right thing to do. He snatched up her pinky, linking it with his. "I promise. I will definitely be here when you come home."_

_ "You won't die?"_

_ Ken laughed, messing up her hair. "Have you met me? I'm never going to die."_

_ Sora grinned widely, flashing her first real smile in what seemed like eternity. Her dimples creased her cheeks and Ken couldn't help but feel himself melt. He loved that smile. "You promised. So, when I come back, I'm gonna have a lot of stories to tell you."_

_ "I can't wait."_

_ Sora tugged on Ken's shirt, pulling him down into a deep kiss, their lips dancing together in perfect time. She pulled away, leaving Ken slightly dazed. "Thank you," she said softly, tucking her arms under his to hug him._

_ "What for?" he whispered back with a smile. He grinned at her. "You were born to be a pirate, Sora. Go out there and be awesome."_

_ "Okay," she said, nodding. "I'll call you everyday. I love you."_

_ "I love you," Ken replied, kissing her lightly._

_ Marco stepped forward, holding out his hand for Ken to shake. Ken smiled, taking the first division commander's hand. "I love you, man. Do you wanna kiss, too?"_

_ "No, Ken, you weirdo," Marco said with a chuckle, shaking his head. He smiled at Ken, who was laughing. "We'll be back."_

_ Ken was still smiling as the division commanders waved and headed down the sand. "Looking forward to it."_

* * *

"Ken…died smiling," Sora said quietly, looking down. She and Ace had made their way way up the mountain and were now standing in front of the granite stone, the sounds of the waterfall seeming so soft compared to Sora's story. "It hadn't even been six months, and Adrian came back. He killed Ken. And if I had just stayed. If I had chosen Ken instead of my stupid _dreams_ then he would still be alive today. I would have been able to protect him."

Sora turned to Ace, her eyes watery. "And every time I look at you, _every time I look at you_, I see Ken. You look so much like him that it destroys me. It forces me to remember the mistakes that I made and forces me to remember the fact that the man I loved most in this world is dead because of my selfish decision," Sora said, and averted her eyes to the earth.

"You can't blame yourself for his death," Ace said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"I've heard that so many times before," she replied. "But it is my fault, isn't it? I chose my dreams over love and as a result, my most precious person was killed."

Ace stood, silent. Before coming up the mountain, he thought that he would be able to handle whatever Sora would tell him about Ken. He thought that he would be able to sympathize or empathize, or _anything_ to how Sora was feeling, but he couldn't. For a lack of better words, he just didn't feel good. He didn't understand. Here was Sora, spilling her innermost secrets about her past to Ace, and all he could think about was how...worthless he was.

Worthless. His stomach clenched at the thought of that word. He was a substitute. A shell that looked like Ken, and talked like him – essentially, a replacement. Worthless.

But Sora didn't know. She didn't care. She just kept talking.

* * *

_ "I'm sorry," she told Whitebeard, kneeling before him. "I need to leave your crew."_

_ Whitebeard was silent, staring down at his only daughter with remorse._

_ "Sora, please reconsider," Izou said, stepping forward. "What will leaving us really do?" _

_ "I can protect people here," Sora said firmly, pressing her head to the deck. Everyone noticed that she was looking a lot thinner and paler. Had she been eating? Ken had been dead for nearly a week now and Sora had locked herself in her room until then. Marco could hear her sobbing late into the night until it finally stopped when she fell asleep in her tears. It was painful, for everyone. Ken was everyone's friend._

_ But he had been Sora's lover. Her most important person was gone and he was never coming back._

_ "I apologize and I understand if you do not agree with my decision, but this is something that I need to do. I will take Ken's will and protect this village with my life. No one will ever die here, ever again." Sora's body was shaking as she tried to cry. She literally had no tears left. Her body was just shaking as her eyes tried to produce liquid, but her tear ducts were all dried out._

_ "If you feel that is what you must do," Whitebeard said, the regret obvious in his voice. _

_ "Thank you, _Oyaji_," Sora said, and stood up. She took a deep breath, facing her _nakama_. "Thank you for everything, everyone," she told the division commanders. "I really love and appreciate everything you all have done for me and I promise that I will never forget any of you," she said, closing her eyes. "Please come and visit Arashi Island anytime. My home is yours as well."_

_ All the division commanders and crewmen wanted to step forward and stop her. They wanted to scream at her, drill into her mind that this wasn't right; that she needed to continue to be a pirate. They needed her; they loved her – she was _nakama_. This was wrong. She couldn't give up. What about adventure? What about not wanting to stay in one place? What about never living in Arashi Island? What about following her dreams to see the world? None of that meant anything if she just gave up and stayed on Arashi Island._

_ But no one stepped forward. Instead, everyone stepped aside, allowing her to pass. As her _nakama_, the Whitebeard Pirates knew that they had to respect her wishes. She had already made up her mind._

_ Sora felt numb as she waded through the shallow ocean. She stared up at the white sand and leaning palm trees that lined the outskirts of the village. She needed to forget how the thick, salty wind felt against her skin, forget how it felt to constantly be in the company of _nakama_. She needed forget being about what it felt like to be a pirate._

_ This was her home now._

* * *

"I used to…come up here all the time after Ken died," Sora said, looking down at the grave. "But then it started to become really painful and I kind of stopped. And when I came here with you, I just remembered everything and it hurt a lot. I used to come up here and talk to Ken," Sora said, chuckling slightly as she shook her head. She turned to Ace and smiled slightly. "Is that weird?"

Ace shook his head, still numb. "No."

"Do you mind if I say something now?" Sora asked carefully, as though she was the one afraid of offending Ace.

Ace shook his head again, smiling lightly at her. "Yeah, go ahead."

Sora took a deep breath, her hands shaking. "Ken, you piece of shit, I can't believe you left me," Sora started, and Ace involuntarily smiled a little at Sora's rather straightforward introduction. Her voice softened. "Sorry for not really coming by. It's been a rough past couple of years. But, um, I've been doing a lot better, you know. And I think it's because of this person." Sora turned to look at Ace, smiling gently. She didn't look at the grave as she spoke, and stared right into Ace's eyes, the man drowning in shades of blue, despite himself. "His name is Portgas D. Ace. He took my place as second division commander, so he's strong. He's funny and thoughtful and sweet, and really looks out for me, you know?"

Sora turned back to the grave and smiled gently. "I think I'm slowly being able to be okay with everything because Ace is here with me. I know he may look young and everything, you're up there thinking that he can't take care of me, but you don't have to worry, Ken. You can trust him." Sora looked back at Ace and smiled, dimples creasing her cheeks this time. "I know I do."

* * *

**A/N: I stayed up all night rewriting this because originally I had just made it so that Sora was talking the whole time about everything but I kind of wanted to emphasize Ken's importance and the reason he died. Sorry for the late updates and sorry if it's getting crappy, but thanks for supporting me. New chapter out in a day or so. Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated. Let me know what you think! :)**

**P.S. Jane deBelleville was a real life French female pirate who went rogue after her husband was executed for treason. I did borrow her last name, but I found out afterwards abut her husband and whatnot, and I guess it ended up working out okay since while Jane became a pirate after her husband died, Sora stopped being one after her husband died. Idk, just a little piece of trivia and now I'm done talking. Thanks again!**


	25. Chapter 25: Worthless

"Hey, Sora," Ace greeted upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, as usual.

"Oh, hey, studly," she said, turning around upon recognizing the voice, but Ace was already walking away, heading to where the division commanders usually sat. He slid in next to Marco and asked for the menu without as much as a second glance in Sora's direction.

Sora blinked several times, her smile fading a little. For about a week and a half now, Ace had been a little distant. She thought that by telling him about Ken, they would become closer, as she had bared her heart and soul. Ken was something she never talked about and never bothered to talk about with anyone, but she had mustered the courage to fill Ace in. She thought it would strengthen her connection with Ace, but it seemed to be doing the opposite.

Last night, Ace had left the bar and come back late at night, when Sora was already asleep. She awoke with the sound of him shoving open the door and sat up to see Ace stumbling in, tripping over his own feet, obviously drunk. He struggled to kick off his boots. This had been going on for several nights already.

"Ace," Sora had said quietly, concerned.

He didn't respond, and just collapsed in his bed, too drunk to move. He was snoring in minutes, and Sora could only frown and go back to sleep.

What was even going on? Sora didn't have any idea. But she just sighed quietly and got back to work. Maybe he would just get over it and maybe tomorrow everything would be the same.

But it wasn't. Ace still greeted her when he came downstairs but Sora made it a point to notice the time and it was already late afternoon. He didn't wake up early and sit at the bar and chat with her like how they had been doing for the nearly two months that he had been here. He immediately sat with the division commanders and didn't even glance back at Sora once.

It was getting to her. Sora's chest tightened and her eyebrows furrowed slightly, confused. She placed down her tray and took off her apron. She looked at Kohaku, who was sitting at the bar, who was playing some game on a handheld device probably developed by the twins, and said, "Let's go to lunch."

Kohaku snapped his game shut and hopped off the chair, nodding excitedly. Sora took his hand but before leaving, approached the division commanders's table. "Hey, Kohaku and I are going to lunch. Do you want to come?" Sora asked Ace, smiling brightly.

Ace made eye contact and shook his head. "Nah, it's okay. I already ordered something from here."

The division commanders exchanged glances. Even they sensed something was wrong. Normally, Ace would have been ecstatic over an invite from Sora. She _never _invited him to go anywhere; she normally just went along with Ace after he persuaded her to leave work, or just assumed that they were having lunch together like how they did everyday. The division commanders knew that Sora actually making the effort to come over to the table and extend and invite to Ace was a rather large gesture. For him to decline was also a rather large gesture.

"Oh," Sora breathed and Ace looked back down at the menu – even though he said he already ordered – not saying another thing to her as though he wanted her to leave. "Okay. See you later, I guess."

"Yup," Ace said, and Sora turned and left. She was distraught, an empty feeling forming in her gut. She didn't understand. Had she done something wrong?

"Are you and Sora fighting?" Izou asked when the door closed behind her.

Ace raised his eyebrows and made a face like he was surprised Izou was asking such a thing. "No, we're not fighting," he chuckled, waving off the sixteenth division commander. "Why?"

"She invited you to lunch."

Ace laughed again. He needed to play this down. "Yeah, I know, I was there when it happened."

"Why'd you say no?"

The younger man shrugged. "I dunno, I said I ordered food from here already, right?"

"But you didn't."

"Well, I'm going to."

"But _Sora _asked you to lunch. _Sora_," Izou emphasized, making a motion with his hands.

"Yeah, so?"

This took all the division commanders by surprise. Izou raised an eyebrow. "What's up with that response?" he snapped, suddenly a little annoyed. "You spend all this time trying to win Sora over and when she finally invites you out on her own accord, you basically slap her in the face."

"I didn't slap her in the face," Ace retorted, obviously trying not to show his irritation. Why was Izou getting all pissy? "I just want to eat here, okay?"

"Don't think that just because you're the second division commander, you can do whatever you please to whomever you please. If you hurt Sora, you're going to answer to me. Don't fucking do anything stupid."

"I'm not doing shit," Ace snapped, annoyed that Izou was cursing at him now.

"You know she trusts you, right? That's why she told you about Ken?"

It seemed like Sora had told Izou about her field trip with Ace to her dead husband's grave. Ace smiled dryly, sipping from his water. "Yeah, okay, if you say so."

Izou just shook his head and turned away, not wanting to talk to Ace any further. _Whatever_, Ace thought, rolling his eyes angrily. No one would understand.

"Kohaku, has Ace said anything to you?" she asked quietly, leading Kohaku through the town.

Kohaku tilted his head, looking confused. "No, why?"

Sora swallowed a lump in her throat. "Really? Nothing? He hasn't said anything?"

Kohaku shook his head. "Nothing in particular. I mean, he takes me to the beach and everything is okay. Why, is there something wrong with you and _Aniki_?" Kohaku asked, sounding alarmed.

Sora smiled and shook her head. "No, we're fine," she said, and she wasn't even sure who she was trying to convince, herself or Kohaku. She knew that Kohaku wasn't a naïve kid; of course he sensed that something was wrong between Ace and Sora, but he just didn't want to make Sora feel uncomfortable, especially since he knew that Sora had just told Ace about Ken.

Sora knocked on Michio's door several times, and Akio answered, grinning up. "Yo, _Aneki_," he greeted, pulling open the door to allow Sora and Kohaku inside.

"_Aneki,_ Kohaku!" Haruo greeted, popping his head in from the living room. Sora noticed a small bruise on his forehead. "We have something to show you, Kohaku! It's finished!"

Sora forced herself to smile and patted Kohaku on the head. "Go play with them. I'll help Michio set up lunch."

Kohaku nodded and bounded happily into the living room to see what kind of new invention the twins concocted. Sora stepped into the kitchen, where Michio was cleaning. "Hey," Sora greeted, and Michio turned and smiled.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He glanced around and raised an eyebrow. Sora was alone today. "Where's Ace?"

Sora shrugged. "He didn't want to come today."

Michio's brows creased inwards. It wasn't only Sora that thought Ace's behavior was weird, so she knew she wasn't imagining it. "That's odd."

Sora forced herself to smile and shrug like she didn't care. She wondered why she had started to care so much in the first place. He always paid a lot of attention to her; it was weird now that he didn't seem to care she existed. She trusted Ace. And he was just ignoring her? Sora didn't understand what was going on.

"He's, ah, been acting a little weird, but it's okay, I'm sure it's just nothing," Sora said, shrugging as she plopped down into one of the chairs. She chatted with Michio about other things, but Ace was still on her mind. She forced herself to forget about it. If something was wrong, he would just come talk to her. And since he hadn't, then there was nothing wrong.

Right?

"_Aneki_, look!" Akio called, and he, Haruo, and Kohaku pounded into the room. Sora made a face, looking at Kohaku. They had strapped a mechanical arm over Kohaku's flesh, wires and metals incasing the full length of Kohaku's arm. He moved his fingers and the metal shell moved with him, flexing the metal.

"You guys made that?" Sora asked. She was impressed that a pair of twelve-year-old kids had the intelligence to basically create a robot. She thought that maybe perhaps they could work under Vegapunk. But that would make them marines, wouldn't it?

"Ace helped us with some of the metal stuff," Haruo said.

"Ace and I have been coming everyday," Kohaku informed Sora, grinning. "Isn't this awesome?"

"Oh, and watch this," Akio said, handing Kohaku a small piece of steel that Kohaku could fit in his hand. Kohaku squeezed his fist together and when he opened it again, the steel was compressed into a tiny crinkled ball, crushed as though it was paper. "It's super durable!"

"Wow, this is pretty neat," Sora said, poking the metal. "Don't hurt yourself," she warned Kohaku.

"It kind of has a mind of its own sometimes," Haruo admitted, scratching his head. "It kind of punched me in the face the other day. That's how I got this bruise."

Akio and Kohaku snickered and Haruo made a face at them. "Why don't you guys work on prosthetic stuff?" Sora suggested, smiling. She wondered if Michio was okay with her encouraging them to tinker with scrap metal and wires and whatnot. But he didn't say anything, letting Sora speak, as the boys looked a little confused. "Yeah, like, for people who have lost limbs or something. You boys could make a lot from it if you were successful. You'd be pretty famous."

Akio and Haruo exchanged glances and nodded excitedly. "Yeah, we should totally do that!"

"Is that hard to do?"

Sora laughed and shrugged. "I don't know, I don't have that kind of expertise. But you guys do. How about you let me know when it's done and I will come and help test it out?"

Akio looked horrified. "Does that mean we have to cut off your arms?"

Sora burst out laughing, shaking her head. "No, dummie, I can just try it on and help fix it so it doesn't punch people in the face."

"Ace can come, too, right?" Haruo asked.

"Sure," Sora said, smiling.

Haruo and Akio high fived and then bounded back into the living room, Kohaku in tow. Sora watched them leave, smiling. She decided she would occupy her mind with other things besides Ace. What did it matter that they weren't speaking much? She always told him he was bothering her, right? They had lunch everyday because he didn't like eating by himself, and he invited himself to eat with Sora. That was it, right? This is what she wanted in the first place. Peace.

She realized she didn't want Ace to leave her alone anymore, the same way that she realized she didn't want the little silver key to the storage room that day aboard the _Moby Dick_.

Sora spent the rest of the afternoon with Michio, chatting with his sons and Kohaku. Ace really had been here everyday. He stayed all day until sundown, had dinner with them, and then left for some bar across town and stayed there for the rest of the night. They informed her that sometimes he met up with Coral and had dessert at her shop before going to the bar. Did he talk about Coral a lot? Sora was beginning to wonder if perhaps she hadn't tested him and teased him about sleeping with Coral. What if he actually did?

Not like she cared. They were friends, he could sleep with whomever he wanted to sleep with and Sora shouldn't care. But she did. She did care who Ace was with and where he was and hearing these stories from Michio and the boys about how Ace got drunk every night worried her. Sora knew it probably took a lot of liquor to actually get him drunk, and he had been stumbling in, intoxicated, every night for the past week and a half. He stayed in his own bed and barely said a word to Sora at all. Sora slept in the cold, figuring she might be out stepping her boundaries if she asked Ace to stay with her to keep her warm. It bothered her, like an itch she couldn't reach. She just wanted to know if she had done anything wrong and how she could fix it so she could stop thinking about him.

Sora thought that maybe if she could confront him, he would tell her what was on his mind. So, at dinnertime, she headed back to the bar. Maybe she would be able to catch him for a meal.

"Where's Ace?" Sora asked the division commanders. She was dressed in a tight fitted black shirt and shorts with a pair of monochrome sneakers. She looked ready to go out for a casual dinner, clutching a bright blue wallet in her hand.

Thatch shrugged. "I dunno. He disappeared earlier."

Sora forced her composure to remain neutral, despite the empty feeling in her gut swelling and crushing her, a black hole of worry that would expand and consume her. "Oh, did he say where he was going?"

"Nope," Thatch answered, and Sora looked to the other division commanders for confirmation, and they all either nodded in agreement, or shrugged. "He's, ah, been acting a little weird lately, don't you think?"

Sora raised her eyebrows, looking confused. "I, um, haven't noticed anything. Maybe he's just tired, is all. Anyway, have a nice dinner. I guess I'll work tonight," she said, and headed behind the bar. She placed her wallet somewhere safe and tied on an apron. The Sky Pub was bustling with business tonight, and normally Sora would dread working that hard, but she needed to take her mind off Ace.

For a few hours, the only thoughts on Sora's mind regarded the bar that Ken had left in her care. He and his family had built it before he left for the marines to give them something to do and to give Ken someplace to come home to, and Ken had decided to name it after Sora – the Sky Pub. Then, she had pretended like she hated it, but she had loved that Ken thought of her. His parents were fine with that as well, even though they did move out after Ken died, leaving the bar to Sora for somewhere she could live when she returned. Sometimes, it was just painful to work here or even be here in general, just because she remembered Ken and the thought of him destroyed her.

When Sora looked up again, she saw that everyone had left. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sora," Eiichi said, and his bag was slung around his shoulders. He waved to her as he left the bar, the bell jingling behind him.

"Oh, okay, bye," Sora said, even though he was already gone. How much time had elapsed? Sora felt numb. She leaned against the bar, resting on her elbows and rubbing her eyes, trying to rid herself of the weight that pressed against her back. She let out a sigh and untied her apron, tossing it into a bin.

The bar was quiet now, the only sound from the low buzz of the lights overhead. Sora shifted her feet. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, despite being physically exhausted. Her mind was a jumble; she would just be lying awake and staring at the ceiling. She needed to walk, she needed to move and be somewhere to clear her mind.

She left the bar, closing the door behind her. She didn't lock it in case Ace came stumbling back early. She could only assume that it was about two in the morning; she figured the average time that Ace came back was around four or five A.M. The wind was chilly tonight, blowing Sora's hair around, so she held it down as she walked, goosebumps appearing over her bare legs and arms. Perhaps she should have brought a jacket.

She breathed in the mid September air and made her way up the hill to the training grounds. It was the place she and Ken used to sit at after a spar. They would watch the sea from here, talking about becoming marines and seeing the world. It was a place that she treasured, despite its lumpy ground and uprooted grass.

To her surprise, there was someone up here already, watching the way the moon sparkled on the ocean. He had his hand up slightly, little lights floating out around him, moving off the edge of the cliff and continuing on out towards the sea.

"Ace," Sora said, and he turned at the sound of his name, all the lights extinguishing at once. She could still make out his muscular figure even in the dark, though. The moon was enough light for her to know that it was, indeed, him.

"Hey," he said, not moving.

Sora approached him, stepping over the little hills in the ground. She noticed that around him, there were patches of grass that were completely burned up, blackening the dirt and coloring the grass around it with ash. Those weren't there before. "What're you doing up here?"

He shrugged, and turned back to the ocean. "Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same," Sora said, standing beside him. They stood in silence, something that has never happened between the two of them. Ace was never quiet when Sora was around. Sure, Sora had to admit that sometimes he didn't exactly say the right things, but there wasn't one occasion where he was at a loss for words. Even when she had told him about Ken, he offered his condolences. Sora hadn't expected him to really be able to say something then, as she knew it was a difficult topic, but he had, and she appreciated that.

Now, though, she felt like he didn't even want her to be here.

"What's wrong?"

Sora's soft words seemed to surprise him, but he just shrugged and shook his head at the same time. "Nothing."

Sora turned to face him. Ace had to force his eyes to keep forward. Avoid staring her in the face. Avoid looking into her eyes. Avoid her. Avoid her! "I know something is wrong," she said, and out of the corner of his eye Ace could see worry tainting her normally happy features. "Please tell me."

Ace exhaled. "Nah, it's okay. You'll think it's stupid."

"No," Sora said immediately, almost pleading. "I won't. I just want to know what's been bothering you. You've been acting weird this whole week."

Ace paused for a long time, and then took a deep breath. It was better now than never. He spoke slowly, unsure of his own words. "My whole life I always wondered: why was I born? Did I deserve to exist? Did I deserve to _live_? I have the blood of a demon running through my veins. Did a no-good piece of trash like me deserve the privilege of life? I asked myself over and over and I've been searching everywhere for the answers. It seems like such a simple question, doesn't it? It's either a yes or a no. But I couldn't find even a hint of what my answer was supposed to be.

"I thought that by becoming a pirate and killing the infamous Whitebeard – the strongest man in the world – I would be able to make my mark and find out that true reason. By becoming strong, I would be able to make a name for myself that would erase Roger's. Instead, I found a family. And you know, I thought, hey, they are one of the reasons why I am still here. But it wasn't enough. I mean, of _course_ it was. They're my _nakama_; my crew means everything to me. But they weren't enough to really be the only answer to my question and I thought that maybe I should just forget about it. Maybe I should stop searching for the answer because I wouldn't be able to find it. Maybe there was none.

"And then I met _you_," Ace said, looking down at Sora. "And I realized that I like being around you. More than I like being around any other person. I don't just like being _around_ you, I like being _with_ you. Making you smile and laugh – making you happy. It's all I wanted to do. And I thought to myself: she's a reason. She is one of the reasons I exist; I exist to always keep her smiling. You said you didn't want to hold hands? So, what? I didn't care. You said you didn't want to kiss me? I didn't mind waiting. But then you said that every time you look at me, it destroys you." Ace looked away, letting out a breath. "I know it sounds selfish, or silly, but it kind of sucks that you feel that way when we're together. That you feel…_destroyed_, when all I want to do is make you happy.

"Worthless. I thought about that word a lot this past week and a half or so and I really thought about what that meant. And honestly, Sora, my whole life, that one word described me. I was just some punk that ended up being a pirate. And instead of making a name for myself, I'm just following in my old man's footsteps. I'm a worthless person – expendable. I know that already. I just never…really thought that you, of all people, could make me feel that way."

Sora looked down. "So, are you mad at me?"

Ace smiled at Sora and shook his head. "No, I'm not mad. Nothing you said back then made me _mad_. I don't know, I guess I was just…hurt."

Sora could have sworn that in that moment, she felt her heart crack, like a chip in a piece of glass. Hurt? Why couldn't he just be mad at her? Thinking back, she could see how Ace would feel after hearing something like that, but why couldn't he just be mad? The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. This confident man who always put a smile on Sora's face was _hurt_?

Ace took another breath. "I need to ask you a favor," he said, and Sora was quiet, allowing him to speak. "Well, I guess it's not really a favor. I was going to go talk to you about it tomorrow anyway, but I mean, you're here now, so I'll just say it so we don't really have to go through this again tomorrow." He took a deep breath and said his next words slowly. "I don't…think we should be friends anymore."

Sora froze. What was he saying? Her mind filled with panic, racing as she attempted to force herself to keep her composure, trying not to make her voice shake. "What?"

Ace held up his hands in defense. "Oh, no, I mean, I still want to be _friends_ and everything. But I don't think it'd be too great if we stayed this _close_, you know? It's not fair for both of us. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Sora. I don't want you to have crappy feelings just looking at me and hanging out together and stuff, so that's not fair to you. Ken sounds like a really amazing person, and I know he really meant a lot to you. I just can't live up to that; I can't have you look at me and see another man. And it's not fair for me because well, yeah, I don't want to have to retell that long speech I just did," Ace said with a grin and Sora could feel a little of his normal self returning. "I, um, already made arrangements with Coral to stay with her and her parents for the remainder of the time that we're here, however long that may be. I'll be moving my things tomorrow."

Sora was speechless. Just as Ace expected, she didn't have anything to say. Of course she didn't. It didn't matter to her whether or not he was there – whether or not he existed. He was just a substitute for Ken, a placeholder for the person she really cared about. He didn't understand why she couldn't just admit that instead of reeling him in with some bullshit about trusting him and just let Ace move on with his life. He felt like she told him about Ken partly because she felt guilty. She felt guilty for only seeing Ken when Ace couldn't ever be able to live up to that person.

Those angry feelings that consumed him early on in the week and had continued to plague him late into the night. He drank at the bar across town because he didn't want Sora to see him weak. He drank and drank and drank until all his thoughts were just little flecks in his mind and he didn't have to worry about them. He couldn't even remember how he hobbled back to the Sky Pub half the time. Her sweet words that day didn't mean anything. Her little soliloquy at the end was just another way to tell Ken that she had found a replacement and that was it. It wasn't about trust. It was about pity. She _pitied _him and that was what made him so angry, so _hateful_.

And then he stopped being upset, and he started to just accept it. So what if he cared about Sora? None of that really mattered now, did it? The only reason why Sora continued to hang out with him was because he looked like the man she used to love and for Ace, that wasn't enough. Hell, any man wouldn't put up with that.

Despite this, though, Ace wanted to. He wanted to be with her and make her see that although he couldn't be Ken, he was _Ace _and he could be just as good for her. But he couldn't. A lot of it had to do with the fact that he didn't even know when he was leaving Arashi Island. The last thing Ace wanted was Sora to finally see him, and then he would have to leave, no questions asked. That would crush him. It would crush _her_. And Ace couldn't do that. No, not to Sora. She was too precious.

This was the only thing he could do, then. He needed to cut off connections with her, no matter how much it hurt. No matter how much it would suck not to be able to see her smiling face in the morning, Ace needed to do it. He needed to protect her from a second heartache, which he knew she would only experience if he let things between them go any further. He wanted to take her on more dates, but he knew that he couldn't. He couldn't keep on living in this fantasy thinking that Sora actually saw him, when all she really noticed was the shadow of Takamune Kenjiro.

Ace turned to leave, as Sora didn't say anything. And of course, she was going to let him leave. Maybe she wanted this, too. He shoved his hands in his pocket and made his way down the hill, trying to force out the crushing feeling of leaving his heart behind. He couldn't be feeling this way. No, he had to have conviction. He needed to play confident as usual; act like it didn't affect him.

"Ace," Sora said, and he felt her cold hands duck between his arms and wrap around his stomach, pressing her forehead to his back. She wasn't holding him tightly. All he needed to do was step forward. Just step forward and she would let him leave.

But he couldn't. His legs remained frozen beneath him and wouldn't move, no matter how much he screamed at them to budge, to take one step forward.

"I never meant to make you feel that way," she said quietly. "I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry that I said that in that way. I didn't – I don't know, I—" she struggled for her words but Ace remained patient against his will. He didn't want to hear the breaks of regret in her voice. No, she wasn't supposed to feel that way. What's done was done and Ace just wanted to step forward and move on with his life.

But, he couldn't. Not when there was the slightest chance that she could walk with him.

"I've already lost someone important to me," Sora said and Ace could tell by her breathing that she was crying slightly. "I don't want to lose another. Please, Ace."

Ace just stood still. What could he say?

"What about your promise?" she asked softly. "You promised. You promised you would never leave me. That you'll stay with me, even if we're apart. But I'm still right here – I'm right next to you. You can't leave me when I'm right here," she said, and Ace could feel some of her tears dropping onto his back. "I'm sorry that you felt that way about what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you. I wanted to tell you the truth and the truth was that at first, yes, I did see Ken in you, but not anymore. You mean a lot to me, as Portgas D. Ace, as _Hiken no _Ace, as _you_. I never meant to make you feel worthless, Ace, I promise. I need you to live. I need you to exist. I need _you._ I'm sorry it took so long for me to say it. I know I broke my promise and I haven't been telling you every day but I'll keep it, if you keep yours. I'll tell you every day," she paused, and let her arms slide out from around him. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I don't know if I can ever make up for making you feel that way but I want to try. But if that's really not enough, then I understand."

Ace was silent for a long time, keeping his back to her, and Sora thought that he might actually walk away. What would she do then? What would she do if he walked away while she was in tears? How could she look at him again? "So," Ace said finally, and Sora braced herself for the worst. "You kinda like me, huh?"

Sora laughed slightly, wiping more of her tears. "I guess you could call it something like that."

Ace whirled around and pulled her into a tight embrace. He couldn't. He couldn't walk away from Sora and it was foolish to believe that he could. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," he said, pulling away for a moment to kiss her forehead. He made a face and then shrugged nonchalantly. "I _guess _I'll stay with you," he sighed, pretending to complain.

"You're the one that made the promise," Sora teased back, and Ace lifted a thumb to wipe her tear.

"Well, here's another one: I promise I'm never going to make you cry ever again," he said, smiling gently. "As long as you tell me that you need me every single day, like you promised."

Sora giggled quietly, feeling her body loosen. "Okay."

Ace pumped his fist in victory and Sora laughed. He cupped her face in his hands and sighed. "Aggghhhhhhh, you drive me nuts!" he said, shaking her head slightly, and Sora giggled again, swatting his hands away. Ace was back and Sora couldn't be happier, her entire body swelling with joy. "It's getting late. Do you wanna try and get some sleep? I miss sleeping in your bed."

Sora let Ace keep his arm around her as they strolled down the hill. A warm feeling settled in her chest. Sora had returned home.

* * *

**A/N: Exams are done, so I plan on finishing this story soon...ish. When I have time to write. :) Reviews are appreciated, thanks for reading!**


	26. Chapter 26: Toro Nagashi

"So you did lie about Marco?" Ace teased a couple days later. Sora had been staying in bed a little later these past few days, snuggling with Ace, which he loved. But of course, she had to get up to help Eiichi down at the bar, and he woke up shortly after that, missing her presence next to him. How could he have possibly even thought about walking away from this woman? Looking back at this last week, Ace realized that perhaps he had blown things out of proportion. He was glad that they had decided to put that behind them and start anew.

Sora laughed, brushing him off. Since they were starting off fresh, Sora decided to come clean about certain things, and tell him a little more about herself. Ace had her trust. "I didn't _lie_. I said I didn't sleep with him, and we didn't sleep together."

"But you drunkenly made out with him," Ace said. "There was a moment of passion between you two that you failed to tell me about earlier when I asked. I totally had every right to be jealous. I haven't even got a peck on the lips and Marco gets tongue? Not fair."

"Are you mad? Or are you _hurt_?" Sora teased, and Ace rolled his eyes playfully, shoving Sora over the counter. She giggled and poured him a glass of water.

"I'm _destroyed_," Ace teased back. "Every time I think about it, it _destroys_ me."

"Shut up," she said, poking her finger in his forehead, and the two shared a laugh.

"Come here," Ace said, reaching over to place his hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer to him to kiss her nose. Sora giggled girlishly and shoved him away.

"So, you guys made up, then?" Izou asked, placing a hand on his hips.

"We weren't fighting," Ace told Izou, smiling at Sora.

"Oh, okay, I totally believe you," Izou said skeptically, shoving Ace's head in jest. Ace swatted him away, laughing. "Sora, Marco and I are going to go out shopping today. Did you want to come or are you going to hang out with this kid?" He gestured to Ace, who just grinned.

"Sorry, but I think I'll stick with babysitting today," Sora said, and Ace pumped his fist triumphantly.

Izou chuckled. "Okay, well, hope to see you tonight."

"Oh, we'll see," Sora called after Izou, who waved before leaving the bar.

"What's tonight?" Ace asked.

"I'm going to have a threesome with Marco and Izou," Sora said, shrugging as though discussing the weather. Ace laughed, shaking his head. She was definitely back. "Tonight's the _Toro Nagashi_. It's a little late here, as it normally takes place in August for some other places, but for us it's always been around the middle of September. It's not so much a totally solemn event here, too, people set up stands and stuff for food in the town center that's only served once a year and there's live music and stuff."

"Are you going?" Ace asked.

Sora shrugged. "Maybe. It's still kind of sad for me so I'm not sure," she said, smiling despite her words.

"Well, at least you get to spend the day with me. And I'll keep you company if you want to stay in tonight, too," Ace offered, grinning.

Sora waved him off. "Oh, no, it's okay. People have really great food stands and it's an overall fun thing we have. Michio makes a killer _mitarashi dango_, and Coral's family makes mochi ice cream, and Coral sings later in the night. She's really good, you know."

Ace waved her off, not seeming to have been listening at all. "I said I'd never leave you, right? You asked me to stay; it was awesome."

The woman laughed. "Yeah, but I didn't mean be clingy," she teased.

"I am not clingy."

"Kinda clingy," Sora said, making the gesture with her fingers.

"Okay, then I'll go out and shop with Marco and Izou. Give you space," Ace said, standing up from his barstool.

Sora laughed, crossing her arms. "Even after I so generously volunteered to babysit you?"

"Yep," Ace said with a grin. "Your fault. Gotta keep you guessing, remember? I'll go buy something to wear tonight."

Sora laughed again and waved her arm, telling him to leave. "See you later."

"What?" Ace asked, putting a hand to his ear.

"What?" Sora replied, confused.

"That's all? Just a 'see you later'?" Sora smiled, knowing what he wanted to hear. He came behind the bar, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You know what I'm talking about," he said, grinning at her.

Sora giggled and slung her arms around his neck, tip toeing so her lips were by his ear. "I need you," she said softly, and Ace felt shivers ripple down his body. "To leave."

Ace frowned. "That doesn't count. You can't say something nice and then follow it with something evil."

Sora laughed, pushing Ace away. "That totally counts."

"You're a bad person," Ace teased, laughing. "Fine, it counts for today, but you better start being nice to me, or daddy's going to have to give his princess a spanking," he said, making the motion as he galloped backwards, which caused Sora to roll her eyes.

"Bye, studly," Sora said, waving as Ace made his way to the door.

"I miss you already. Please don't leave me. Always stay by my side. I need you, otherwise, my life is worth nothing," Ace pretended to say in agony, walking backwards and reaching out to Sora, who was laughing.

"Have fun."

"Bye," Ace said with a grin, pushing open the door and heading out to catch up with Izou and Marco.

But when Ace, Marco, and Izou returned to the bar late in the afternoon, to their confusion, the front door was locked. Ace turned it a few times, and tried to peer in through the windows, but the bar was completely dark. "Where'd she go?" he asked, turning to Marco and Izou, who both shrugged. They had already changed into their _yukatas_, cotton kimonos worn during the summer time.

Marco's was a light blue, decorated with goldenrod cherry blossoms. A deeper yellow sash was tied lower on his waist. Izou's was an off white, and he used his red and purple accessories from his normal kimono, tying up his hair nicely, as usual. The stores were all sold out of ones that would fit Ace nicely, so his was tied more loosely around his body, some of his chest exposed. It was a deep indigo, with white lotus flower designs floating across it. Izou had helped him tie the white sash around his hips and Ace figured he would wear his red pearl necklace with it as well.

"Should we go to the square?" Izou asked, glancing up at the sky. It was getting dark already, colorful lanterns strung between the streetlights lighting the way to the town square, where much of the festival was being held. The _Toro Nagashi _was the Lantern Festival.

"Sure," Marco said, leading the way.

"Does Sora normally not go to the _Toro Nagashi_?" Ace asked, catching up with his _nakama_. He had to be careful where he stepped; the _yukata _was a little big for him.

Marco shook his head. "No, she stays and runs the bar. She's probably out shopping for stuff now, but she'll open it up later."

"She doesn't like to come because it's still a little depressing for her," Izou chimed in. "Sometimes she'll come to put out a lantern for Ken, but then she goes right back to the bar."

Ace frowned. He wished he knew how to make her happy in situations like this.

"You should turn your bow the other way," they heard Michio tease, and to their surprise, saw Sora. She was wearing traditional _gebi _slippers with a light pink _yukata_ with a design of white waves. The _obi _around her waist was a fiery red, a bow tied neatly in the back, with a paper fan resting under it. Her long hair was tied in a loose bun, white chopsticks sticking out from it.

Sora frowned at Michio. "You're mean. Why are we even friends?"

Michio laughed, patting her on the head and handing her a stick of _mitarashi dango_, three little _mochiko rice _dumplings covered in a thick sauce. "Fine, take that one on the house."

"Everything is on the house for me," she said, sticking her tongue out before biting off the first dumpling, taking a sip from the cup of hot green tea in her hand.

"Sora!" Ace called, grinning.

Sora turned at the sound of her name and smiled as Ace made his way over to her. "Yo."

Marco and Izou exchanged glances, wondering what suddenly changed her mind, until they realized that it was probably the young man running to meet her right now. If Ace had expressed interest in coming tonight, Marco and Izou had a feeling that interest also made Sora want to come out as well. She always had a hard time saying how she felt, but this was Ace. Everyone already knew how she felt.

"You came," Ace said, and lifting his hand to ruffle her hair, but Sora caught his wrist.

"I know it looks messy, but this took me forever to do," Sora warned, referring to her hair. "I don't understand tying hair with chopsticks."

"Why didn't you just use a hair tie, then?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because this looks more ethnic," Sora reasoned, and Ace laughed. She tugged on the collar of his yukata. "This is too big for you."

"I can take it off if you want," Ace offered, still grinning.

"Please don't."

"I'm glad you decided to come tonight," Ace said. "I was so ready to stay in with you, you know."

"That's why you dressed in a _yukata_ and came to the square without knowing where I was," Sora teased, smirking.

"Well, I was going to go back, and I was like, 'I'm gonna bring the spirit of summer to Sora, and wear it around the bar and maybe take it off and swing it around, give her a strip show since I owe her for giving me one before'," he said, laughing.

"Oh, stop," Sora said, pushing Ace away.

"Dude, can I have one? It smells awesome," Ace said to Michio, who handed him a stick of _dango_. Ace ate all three dumplings at once and didn't even seem to chew before swallowing them. His eyes widened. "Holy crap, these are the best _dango_ I've ever had! You're the best chef ever!"

Michio chuckled and waved him off. "It's not that great."

"Stop being modest," Sora said, rolling her eyes. Ace was already handing over enough money for what seemed like twenty sticks and continued to eat and eat and eat, Sora remembering when she had an appetite like that. She giggled as Ace consumed most of Michio's stock. "Hey, stop before you choke," Sora said, and handed Ace some of her green tea.

Ace coughed and pounded his chest, snatching away the cup and pouring the liquid into his mouth. His eyes widened as he realized that it was scalding hot _ocha_, and he closed his mouth, trying to cough without spitting out all the food he had eaten. Sora giggled, patting him on the shoulder.

"I have some people to say hello to and things to do here, so I'll be around," Sora said, smiling.

"What? I wanna hang," Ace said, clearing his throat.

"I'll come find you later," Sora said. And for the first time, Ace didn't doubt these kinds of words. He sincerely believed she would come back for him and so he grinned. He also wanted to prove to Sora that he was definitely _not_ clingy.

"Okay."

Sora smiled kindly and headed off, seeming to be amused by the multicolored lanterns strung about, and all the noise and chatter. Ace looked around at the smiling faces. Sora was right; it wasn't a solemn event. Here, the _Toro Nagashi _brought everyone together.

Ace spent most of the night with the other division commanders, trying new food and playing several games, chatting with people, and buying cute key chains or other souvenirs. Ace bought a hand fan with lotus flowers in a red sea, choosing to believe that it was fire, even though Marco and Thatch called him an idiot for that, laughing.

Unable to stay away from Michio's _dango_, Ace returned there with several other division commanders and bought some more. Thankfully, the man had replenished his stock of food, and Ace depleted it again.

Soon, Ace watched everyone leave the square, heading towards the beach, and so he followed Marco there as well. The breeze on the beach was cool, despite it being the end of summer, and Ace dug his toes into the sand. He brushed the hair out of his face to see people kneeling on the sand, brushing names onto paper lanterns, and continuing to write letters. Ace had never been to a _Toro Nagashi _before, so he asked Marco about it.

"The _Toro Nagashi _is a festival in which to honor the dead," he explained. "The paper lanterns serve as a guide, leading spirits of those who passed back to the other world. Sometimes people write messages on the lanterns, too."

"Who is yours for?" Ace asked, pointing at Marco's lantern.

"Ken and I were good friends," Marco said, glancing down at the lantern with the characters for 'Takamune Kenjiro' written on it in his sweeping calligraphy, followed by his own name. "I send one for him whenever we're here for the _Toro Nagashi_."

Ace looked around at the other division commanders to see that they all had lanterns, too, for friends or family they had lost. Ace didn't have any. He hadn't even _really _known what the _Toro Nagashi _was for and suddenly felt a little silly and out of place.

"Hey," Sora said, coming up behind them. In her hand, she had two calligraphy brushes and in her other hand dangled three paper lanterns. Ace noticed that on one of them, she had written "Takamune Kenjiro" on it as well. She looked up at Ace, chewing on her bottom lip. "Told you I'd come back."

"Hey," Ace greeted.

"I was, ah, wondering if you wanted to, I dunno," Sora said, shaking her head. She looked like she was going to change her mind, and then looked up at Ace. "Did you want to help me…send out a lantern for Ken?"

Marco's eyes flickered slightly at this, being that Sora didn't normally like to collaborate on lanterns. She always felt like her lantern to Ken needed to be her own. Ace was also surprised. "Are you sure that's okay?" he asked, and Sora smiled, nodding. She led him to an emptier patch of sand and Ace held out his hand for Sora to hand him a brush and Ken's lantern. Ace struggled with figuring out how to hold the brush to write nicely, and Sora laughed a little. "Can I write a message to Ken, too?"

Sora blinked several times, seeming surprised. "Yeah, sure."

Ace dunked his brush in a little inkbottle that Sora had and started to write. 'I may have never met you, but thank you for helping Sora to become the amazing woman she is today. She's right, you know. You can trust me. Please continue to watch over her.' Sora smiled at the note as Ace signed his name messily at the bottom. "Is that okay?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah."

"Who are the other two for?" Ace asked, pointing to the two blank lanterns in her hand.

Sora pursed her lips together. "Would it be okay if I made them for your mother and for Sabo?"

Ace felt the breath catch in his chest. This was a sad day for her, but yet she had thought of him, remembering his mother and the brother that he had only mentioned one time. He smiled gently. "Yeah."

Sora dipped her brush in ink and in her neat calligraphy, wrote 'Portgas D. Rouge' and 'Sabo' on the two lanterns, signing her name at the bottom. He noticed that she had written 'Belleville D. Sora' but didn't say anything, thinking that perhaps the period mark was an 'e' that was just written tiny. She wrote sweet messages to both of them, asking them to watch over Ace and how they would be proud of the man he had grown up to be, and Ace felt a warming feeling nestle in his chest as he found it hard to breathe. After Marco's explanation, he realized exactly why tonight might be a little rough for Sora, as anything dealing with Ken was very difficult for her to cope with, but she seemed to place those feelings on the side for a moment to respect Ace's feelings as well.

Without warning, Ace pulled her into a tight embrace, Sora holding both her arms out as not to crush the paper lanterns or smear her writing. One hand rested on the back of Sora's head, pressing her into his chest. "Thank you," Ace said quietly.

Sora relaxed, allowing Ace to hold her. She didn't think he would react this way, but she smiled nonetheless. "No, thank _you_," she said into his chest. She pulled away and gestured to the sea, where some lanterns were already floating out, glowing flecks in the dark ocean. "Let's send these off."

Ace nodded, and his finger ignited into a soft flame and he gently lit all three lanterns. The two of them then stepped in the water, the bottoms of their _yukata_s becoming wet as they waded out a little. Sora placed Sabo's in the water, pushing it out to sea with a light breeze. Rouge's one was next, and the two of them watched the lanterns meet up with hundreds of other lights, all riding the waves.

"It's always hard for me," Sora said quietly, feeling the ocean lap against her calves. "Sending out Ken's lantern. It's always hard. It's like…me accepting that he's gone and that I'm just all alone, you know? It's…I don't know. It's stupid and immature but—"

"No," Ace said softly, interrupting her. "It's not. But, you know, you're not alone this time." He lifted Ken's lantern placing it in the water, and with his other hand, guided Sora's small fingers to the lantern as well, so both of them were touching it. "I'm right here with you."

Together, Ace and Sora let go of Ken's lantern as the waves waned, and Sora watched as it floated out, the candle inside flickering dimly. Ace could see her hands shaking and upon instinct, gently grabbed one. Sora seemed surprised, looking up at Ace, who just smiled down at her. He saw a small smile form across her lips as her eyes returned to the sea, and she moved her hand. Ace thought that she was going to pull it away, but instead, she shifted her hand so that their fingers were laced together. Her hands were small, her fingers long and delicate, but they fit Ace's large, calloused hands perfectly. In that moment, he knew. It wasn't a thought anymore. It wasn't a speculation. He _knew _she was a reason. He existed for this woman.

Ace squeezed her hand and Sora's grip tightened slightly also. She looked up at him, took a deep breath, and smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad you're the person standing here with me."

"I love when you're nice to me," Ace said with a grin and Sora laughed, turning for the shore. To Ace's further surprise, she didn't let go of his hand, and together, they waded through the shallow water. They turned to face the ocean again, the sight of hundreds of lanterns floating away stealing Ace's breath. It reminded him of fireflies in a field, the lights bobbing with the slight waves of the ocean, proceeding towards the ocean. No one could tell whose lantern was who's anymore, just that the spirits of those who passed would be able to find a way back home. Some people left to return to the festivities back at the town square, but Ace and Sora stayed watched until the last light disappeared, fingers entwined the entire time.

"Your hands are small," Ace said, squeezing her hand lightly as they headed back. Their feet were covered in sand and the bottom of their _yukata_s were still damp, and they used their other hands to hold their slippers, the hands between them laced together still. Ace could get used to this.

"Your face is ugly."

Ace frowned. "Okay, first of all, that was a compliment, because it would be weird if you had sasquatch hands, and second of all, I can't decide on whether or not I believe you truly are an evil human being."

Sora laughed, moving into him so that her shoulder shoved him. "Gotta switch it up, you know? Keep you guessing!"

"You can be nicer about it," Ace teased. The music from the town square drifted towards them, volume increasing as they came closer, chatting about various things. Sora decided to tell him something else about herself and Ace's reaction was as she had expected. "You lied to me about your name, too?" he sighed.

Sora grinned sheepishly. "Well. Sorta. My name is Sora, right?"

"I don't even know anymore! You're a phony!"

She laughed. "Yes, it is still Sora. Belleville D. Sora. Nice to meet you."

"Shut up," Ace said, making a face at her. "What's up with that 'de Belleville' stuff, then?"

The woman shrugged. "I got teased about it when it came out on the wanted poster. Marines must have mixed up my name or something, I don't know. I heard it's not uncommon for mess-ups on wanted posters," Sora said, waving her hand as though she didn't care. "Ken thought it was funny and didn't say anything to the marines to change it. Also because that would mean he was associating with me and that'd look pretty bad for a marine. The crew still calls me 'Belleville', though, but when people ask, it's _de _Belleville, so they don't think I'm a pirate."

"I already knew you were a pirate," Ace scoffed. "And as if that one syllable would throw people off. You look exactly the same, except your hair length."

"Not! That poster was taken, like, six years ago. I look a little different."

"Yeah, you still look like a kid," Ace teased, and Sora made a face at him.

"At least I'm _not _a kid," she shot back, sticking her tongue out at Ace.

Ace glanced around him, looking confused. "I don't know who you're talking about, because I'm certainly not a kid."

"Oh, please. Oversized _yukata_, don't know how to write with a brush, playing little scavenger hunts. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're a kid," Sora scoffed, and Ace made an over exaggerated angry face, showing his teeth and creasing his brow into a V, making Sora laugh.

They entered the town square, music playing from the center stage, several people dancing to upbeat instruments and a sweet sounding voice. Sora was doing a little jig herself, alternating bobbing her shoulders and wiggling her head as she glanced around, as though trying to figure out what activity to do next. A few seconds passed and her hair bounced around and she was pursing her lips now, Ace realizing she was obviously not even thinking about anything besides the music. Ace smirked at her cute movements. "Wanna dance?"

"What?" Sora asked, stopping her dancing as though not realizing she had been doing it.

"Why look like a weirdo doing it all alone? Dance with me," Ace said, dropping his slippers and stepping into them.

"Do children like you even know how to dance?" Sora teased, despite the fact that she had started to become busy with wiggling around foolishly to the music from the center stage. She dropped her slippers also, slipping her slender feet into them.

"Um, I'm kind of a pro," Ace bragged, jabbing his thumb into his chest.

Sora snorted, flicking her wrist at him as though to say 'yeah, right!' and Ace frowned. Sora raised an eyebrow. "You really want to dance? You don't strike me as the kind of person to like dancing."

"Then you obviously don't know me at all," Ace said, as though he were suddenly crowned the king of dance.

"Fine," Sora said, stepping forward to the dance floor. Ace, still clutching her hand, followed, smiling as the music became louder.

They maneuvered through the outline of people, standing near the middle of the crowd, and Ace looked up at the stage for a brief moment. Coral was standing there, her red hair tied up out of her face. Both hands were clutching a microphone stand as her sweet soprano voice being carried through the speakers. She glanced down as though realizing that Ace was looking at her and for the first time, Ace noticed that she was looking at him without blushing. She smiled for a moment, waved at Ace and Sora, and turned back to her microphone, continuing to sing.

"She's cute, huh?" Sora said, turning to face Ace. "She's normally flustered and nervous, but you can tell that she completely changes into a really confident person when she sings. It's kinda cute."

Ace nodded. "I guess she's cute," Ace said, shrugging. He poked her forehead. "You're more my type, though," he said with a grin.

Sora scoffed, as she held both of Ace's hands, beginning to move to the music. "Please, as if I would ever even send a second glance your way," she teased, but continued to move with Ace anyway.

They spent the better of the night together like this, and to Sora's surprise, Ace was didn't disappoint. Not in the sense that he could dance – because Ace certainly could _not_ dance – but Sora had fun watching him try. She knew she couldn't dance either, making Ace laugh when she did weird moves like squeezing her nose and raising her arm, wiggling her body downwards and then switching arms, as though she were diving into the water. He would try to swirl her around but he didn't know how to hold her hand when he did so, so she was either forced to let go of his hand and finish the turn on her own, or his wrist would twist and he would have to turn, too, causing Sora to burst out into laughter.

The division commanders watched from the sidelines, amused. It made them happy to see Sora the same bright spirited woman that had been aboard their ship four years ago, before the darkness of Ken's death had ascended on her. The recognized that innocent smile and her tinkling laughter, the look in her eyes when she looked at Ace. They all knew that he meant a lot to her, not as Ken's replacement perhaps, but as just himself. He was what she needed all these years when her heart had been locked away.

Izou sighed, fanning himself with a paper fan he had bought from a stand. Marco thought Izou was going to say something sweet about Sora and Ace, but instead, he said, "I wonder if Sora realizes that Ace can't dance to save his life. And neither can she. Look at them, flailing like dying animals."

Thatch chuckled. He had gotten over his infatuation with Sora quite recently, upon realizing that he was completely out of the running the moment she had met Ace. Now, he really liked seeing Sora and Ace together, because she was always smiling. That was what had captivated him in the first place; her smile and the dimples in her cheeks. "I'm pretty sure they don't care."

Izou smiled. "Probably not."

"You think she's in love with him?" Thatch asked Izou, who scoffed.

"Of course she is. But you know her, she's never going to say it and Ace is going to cry about it," he said, and Thatch laughed again, knowing all too well that that was probably what was going to happen.

"What's gonna happen when we have to leave?"

"Honestly," Izou started, shrugging. "I think Ace is going to stay."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "That's unlikely."

"But he loves her," Izou said. "It's pretty obvious that he loves her and so of course he would want to stay with her."

"But just because he _wants _to stay here, it doesn't mean that he _will_," Thatch replied, shrugging. "I don't think he's going to stay either."

"Ace isn't just going to leave Sora," Izou insisted. "He's not going to leave her behind."

Thatch chuckled, slapping Izou on the back. "You're talking like he's going to die or something! We're going to end up coming back eventually and everything will be fine. Sora and Ken did the same thing for almost four years. They'd see each other once every few months and that was enough."

"It was only enough because Ken was older than Sora," Izou reasoned. "Ken is five years older than Sora, but _ten years _older than Ace. Everyone always says age doesn't matter, but it _does_. Age – especially for men – means maturity. When Sora and Ken were together, Sora _had _to be mature about the fact that she never got to see Ken because _Ken _was mature about it. He was a lot older than her and understood that, although it was unfortunate, these kinds things happened, so Sora did the same, even if she didn't realize she was doing it. But Ace is still a kid. You expect him to be able to stay away from Sora just like that?" Izou shook his head. "It can't be done."

"I think you underestimate Ace," Marco said. "He's a pirate, too, you know. It's not going to be so easy for him to give up his dream. Sora didn't give up hers when Ken had to stay on the island because of his leg. She went out to sea anyway. She wanted to see the world and bring back stories for Ken, especially since he couldn't be a marine anymore. I think Ace will do the same. He'll be excited to come back and tell her about all the new stuff he's been doing."

Izou sighed and crossed his arms. "We'll see, I guess. It's going to be depressing either way. What if Sora never tells Ace that she loves him?" Izou mused, and clutched his chest as though in pain. "What if they never know each other's feelings? How heartbreaking! I want them to be together, dammit! Be together!"

Thatch snorted. "Calm down, man. It's only been a little over two months."

"Time doesn't matter!"

"I know," Thatch said. "But even if Ace was in love with her, he wouldn't tell her now. It's too soon. Especially now that they're so close. What if she freaks out? Ace will die."

"But we don't have much time left!"

Marco raised an eyebrow. "You know when we're leaving?" Even as the first division commander, he didn't know when they were leaving.

Izou laughed. "No, but I mean, we've been here a while. It's bound to come and then they're just going to have to say goodbye and Ace will cry and die inside and Sora will…" Izou seemed to think for a moment, "probably just stand there and call him a kid and then push him into the water."

Marco and Thatch chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Sounds like her," Thatch said, and then looked as someone called his name from some ways away. It was Akio and Haruo, and Thatch smiled. "Sorry, these kids have been asking me for help with shit. I never get a break."

"See you," Izou said, waving as Thatch jogged to meet up with the twins. Izou glanced at Marco. "Are you okay?"

"Why are you always asking that?" Marco asked with a chuckle. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Just okay?"

Marco smiled slightly. "Just okay."

"I thought she'd end up with you, you know," Izou said, his eyes sliding back to the dance floor, where Sora was now hopping around Ace while flailing her arms. Ace was howling with laughter, needing to wipe tears from his eyes.

"A part of me did, too," Marco said. Izou was the only other person who really understood Marco's feelings for Sora. "But the other part of me always knew she wouldn't. It's complicating. And I'm coming to terms with it."

"Keeping your promise, hm?"

Marco smiled. "Yup."

Coral's music slowed down for a moment and she took a deep breath, a little tired from singing all night. "This is my last song for tonight," she said, smiling brightly. "Thank you for listening up until now and enjoy the rest of the evening." A piano started a quiet melody, a few violins chiming in. Coral closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and started in, her voice not sounding fatigued at all.

Sora smiled at Ace. "Let's grab some water or something," she suggested, as couples around them began to sway together. She spun on her heels ready to flee from the dance floor, but Ace caught her wrist immediately.

"Not fair, you can't dance with me all night and the second a slow song comes on, you bolt," Ace teased. "I can do swaying. Come on. One real dance. Please?" he asked, giving her his best innocent eyes.

Sora sighed and reluctantly, she let Ace pull her towards him, allowing his hands to be placed on her waist, right below her _obi._ He made a face as she just stood there, swaying to the gentle music and so he moved his hand, lifting both her arms and putting them on his shoulders. He grinned at her and then pulled her closer.

"Not so bad, right?" Ace asked, still flashing his crooked grin.

"I guess," she responded, laughing slightly to try and mask her uneven breathing and heart rate. Suddenly, the effect Ace had on her was intensified. She was aware of everything she was feeling now more than ever. She could feel her stomach jittering, and her chest was clenched, all from his warm touch. This man…really was everything she needed. He was all she could have possibly asked for.

But what about when he left? Sora couldn't do that again. She didn't want to be separated from him when the day came that he had to leave. She realized this now; she wanted to be at his side. Or at least, following behind him so she could watch his back and protect him. He was someone important to her and Sora couldn't let the Ken's fate consume Ace as well. Ace couldn't die. She couldn't let him leave her behind.

But Sora couldn't leave Arashi Island. There really were things she needed to do here. She needed to stay.

"What're you thinking about?" Ace asked, snapping Sora from her thoughts.

"How gross you are," Sora responded automatically, giggling as Ace's expression dropped.

"Too mean."

"Everything I say seems to be too mean," she laughed.

"'Cause it is."

She smiled. "You know, I'm actually really glad I came tonight," she said honestly. "I was going to stay locked up in my bar, wallowing in sorrow. But thank you for making tonight worthwhile."

Ace seemed surprised, but then smiled gently. "No, thank you. This was my first _Toro Nagashi_, so I didn't really understand it until Marco explained it. I know it was hard for you, but thank you, Sora. I really appreciate what you did for my mom and Sabo. I'm sure they do, too," he said, grinning now.

Sora was aware that their faces were mere inches away. She felt her breathing become shallow as Ace continued to speak. "I care about you so much," he said quietly as they continued to sway. "Thank you for thinking about me, even on your painful day."

"It's…cool," she breathed, not knowing what else to say. Ace's warmth was intoxicating, and he was slowly leaning in, Sora unaware that she, too, was closing the distance between them. They were going to kiss! _They were going to kiss!_ Sora's mind was racing. Was she going to kiss back? Did she even remember how to kiss? Does her lip go on top of his or is it the other way around? Did that matter? Were her lips dry? Damn, she can't lick them now, her tongue would touch his mouth. Wait, was _he_ going to kiss with tongue? Was she supposed to let that happen? Why were they going to kiss? What was happening?

Ace stopped however, right before their lips were about to touch. She could feel his breath on her skin. "Is it a yes?" he whispered.

"I don't know yet," Sora answered honestly, and Ace pulled back immediately, grinning.

"Moment ruiner. You're supposed to whisper back, 'yes, Ace, the answer is _yes_!' and then we kiss passionately and everyone cheers," Ace said dramatically, making faces as he spoke.

Sora choked back a laugh. "Everyone cheers? What makes you think _everyone's_ even watching?"

"By everyone, I just meant Izou," Ace said, nodding across the way to where Izou was standing with Marco, holding both his fists up and shaking them at the sky as though upset or disappointed while Marco just laughed. "He was slapping Marco earlier, pretty excited about our supposed kiss." Sora laughed, shaking her head. She could imagine Izou doing that. "It's gonna be fireworks, you know. When we kiss."

Sora laughed again. "What makes you think that we're ever going to kiss?"

"I'm psychic," Ace answered, shrugging as though this were the answer to life. He then smiled gently at her. "But until then, I'll wait. It'll be even better when we do kiss and then you'll be like, 'Oh, Ace, I love kissing you, let's never stop kissing' and life will be complete."

She giggled, shaking her head as she laughed, feeling Ace's shoulders bob with his laughter as well. "We'll see if that day ever comes."

"_When _that day comes," Ace corrected. "How awesome would that be for me if I could get a kiss from you? And not like a peck, like, 'hello, good friend of mine', but like, passionate, slam-against-the-wall, fight-for-power tongue session like how you had with Marco – but even better, of course – kind of kiss."

Sora rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I used up all my make-out powers on Marco. I'm all out."

Ace sighed exasperatedly at another Marco joke, and Sora laughed again as Coral's song ended. They both clapped, releasing each other, as she thanked everyone again and helped the musicians move their instruments off the stage. Ace held out his hand. "I'm feeling another one of Michio's _dango_ before retiring for the night. How about you?"

Sora smiled, and placed her hand in his, lacing their fingers together once more. This…felt right. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

**A/N: When the bow on the yukata is tied in the front it means that the wearer is a prostitute. Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading :)**


	27. Chapter 27: Takamune Eri

Revenge.

It always lingered at the back of Sora's mind. Revenge. Its bloodthirsty claws scraping against the backs of her arms, trying to drag her down, turn her around, begging for attention. Sometimes, when she was alone, dark flames of vengeance consumed her with a freezing fire that burned from the inside out. It tore her insides and rattled the walls of her mind. Revenge. She had lost everything. A part of her wanted Adrian to feel the same excruciating, crushing agony she had experienced as the man she loved died in her arms.

But every morning when the sun rose, Sora had to brush those feelings aside. What would people say if she even let out a hint of there being some kind of ulterior motive to staying on Arashi Island? It was hard getting used to being stationary at first, but Sora had come to love the island. If people knew that at the back of her mind, the real reason for her really being here was to wait for Adrian to return, that probably wouldn't go well.

She knew it, too. She had met Adrian once while she had snuck onto a ship that Ken was on, disguised as a marine, and he was one of the few people outside this island that knew about her relationship with Ken. But Sora didn't care. She knew that was not what he was after. Adrian didn't need information, he didn't want to destroy Ken's career, he wanted to end Ken's life and annihialate everyone who ever meant anything to him. He wanted to erase all traces of Takamune Kenjiro. And Adrian had seen her on the day he killed Ken, so it was then that she knew that he would be back sooner or later to try and finish the job. And Sora would be ready.

So she waited patiently. She spent some of her time training so that when Adrian did show up, Sora could spill his blood.

That was perhaps what bothered her the most. She wasn't a violent person. She didn't kill unless it was in defense. While defending the _Moby Dick _as the second division commander, she always just blew her opponents off board. She was normally peaceful and bright, but these feelings about Adrian had plagued her for years. She wanted to kill him. She wanted to hurt him. To make him feel more pain than any person has ever felt in their life. It disgusted her. She thought she would be able to get over her raging vegeance eventually – maybe one day she would wake up, and they would be gone, just like that.

Sora never, _ever _told anyone about these haunting feelings – not even Marco or Izou, or even Whitebeard himself. But the night of the _Toro Nagashi_, when she had returned to her room with Ace, it all came pouring out. It was like she was a different person, watching herself talk about this darkness that she harbored inside of her to this man that she had only known for a few months. She tried to tell herself to stop talking, a voice inside screamed at her, but she couldn't. And she sobbed, her whole body shaking as she became completely overwhelmed with rage and hurt all over again as she realized that maybe feelings like revenge never did go away.

That night, Sora expected Ace to frown and be disappointed in her. This was what she was talking about that night they first stayed together when she had been cold. Truly, how could he really want to stay by her side now that he knew about her darkness? How could he think that she was extraordinary? How could he admire her now?

"Are you disillusioned?" she sobbed, her voice shaking. "Are you disappointed that I'm not the strong woman you believed me to be?"

But the younger man only smiled gently, brushing the hair from her face and holding her hands. He was warm, as usual, but Sora felt it more that night, feeling as though she had become fire itself in Ace's arms. "No. What I said then, I mean even more now," he said, and pulled her against him as she cried, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Revenge is a really difficult thing to deal with but everyone has a little darkness inside them; everyone has flaws and Sora, that's totally normal. It's okay. And you've done really well dealing with it on your own, but you don't need to do it by yourself anymore. I'm right here."

And that was enough. Little by little, Sora could feel those shadows of revenge dissipating, breaking into pieces and floating away with the wind. For the first time in four years, Sora was actually beginning to really feel…okay.

"Good morning," Ace greeted at the bottom of the stairs, and Sora turned, smiling.

"Morning, studly."

Ace closed the distance between them and quickly kissed her cheek, before leaning over to pick up an apron from the bin. He had been doing that ever morning since the _Toro Nagashi_ – kissing her cheek. And everytime he did it, Sora involuntarily smiled, her blood rushing. She was actually starting to like Ace's displays of affection.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he tied on the apron.

"I'm bored," Ace said, shrugging. "Figured I'd help. Is that okay, boss?"

Sora giggled, shaking her head. "You know, that's how you'd address me if I were still on _Oyaji_'s ship."

"HA!" Ace yelled, throwing his head back as though he had heard something particularly funny. "If you came back, you wouldn't address me as 'boss' because I'd make it the law that all women aboard the _Moby Dick _address me as 'daddy'. So you'd be like, 'is it okay if the second division is the advance party, _daddy_?' and I'd be like, 'yes, of course, princess, but first, you need to advance onto _this_ party,'" Ace gestured at his crotch and Sora pushed him playfully, the two of them laughing.

"Oh, my God, can you guys just kiss already?" Izou groaned from the bar, his head dropping to the table as though in real physical pain.

"I don't want to kiss Ace," Sora said.

"I hate Sora," Ace added and Sora raised both her eyebrows at this. Ace nodded, furrowing his brows as though this were a serious matter. "Yeah, you heard. I definitely do _not _want to throw her in a closet and do things to her that she would never even dream of."

"Oh," Sora said, like she was having a revelation. "Oh, that's right, I forgot again that you'd only know how to do 'things I'd never even dream of' because you're just a big pool of diseases. Another reason why I do not want to kiss you. Where has that little mouth of yours even been? I don't know. You probably don't even know." She shrugged, smiling at the dark haired man as she walked past him to pick up an order the kitchen pushed out.

Ace watched her leave to deliver it to a table. Izou smirked. "Whatcha lookin' at?" he asked innocently, and Ace grinned, not at all embarrassed that Izou had caught him staring at Sora.

"She's amazing," he said. "Everyday she becomes more and more amazing to me."

Izou laughed. "You guys are pretty much a couple already," he told Ace. Ace grinned sheepishly, knowing that this was probably true. Within the past week or two, he and Sora had grown a lot closer. Wherever they went together, their hands were always intwined; they sat together at dinner with the crew, and shared food; when Ace thought no one was looking, he'd kiss Sora's cheek or nose and whisper something in her ear, even if that something was of no utter importance that contained no romantic content like, 'Can I have the rest of your noodles? I'm hungry.' Sora would giggle and push him away, but give him her food anyway. They spent most of their time with each other and Ace knew this was something he could get used to.

"We're going on our third date tonight," Ace said proudly, grinning at Izou. Ace didn't play games this time; he wanted to take her to a fancy restaurant and do a "proper" date, so he had just out right asked. "Do you know if she's excited?"

Izou scoffed. "She's always excited. She's excited when it rains, or when there's a ladybug on the window. He smiled at Ace. "But yes, I can assume that she is happy that you are taking her out again. I'm surprised she didn't make you jump through hoops for it this time."

"I'm grateful," Ace said, chuckling.

"Hey, if you're gonna work, then work," Sora said, returning back to the bar, gesturing the tray of food that was being pushed out. She grinned at Ace to let him know that her sharp tone was in light spirits, and he rolled his eyes, sliding it off the counter. She watched him professionally carry it to the right table, placing down all the plates and smiling at the customers.

"You took off for tonight, right?" he asked Sora upon returning.

"Why? What's going on tonight?" Ace frowned at Sora's tone. She sounded really confused. But then, she burst out laughing, shoving Ace playfully. "Yes, I remembered, stupid."

Ace grinned. "Good. We're going someplace nice. I mean, I could go by myself, but it'd be more fun if you were there."

"I'm so flattered I think I might just poo."

"Please don't."

She giggled. "I'm looking forward to tonight."

"Me, too."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't really know yet," Ace answered honestly, laughing. "I haven't been shown around yet."

"You've been here for two and a half months."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I magically know all the swanky restaurants. I was just going to ask Michio or something for the name of a place."

"Are we going somewhere expensive?"

Ace nodded vigorously. "Yeah, you're letting me take you out on one of those typical dress-up dates, remember? Know anywhere you wanna eat?"

Sora smiled. "There's a steak house near Caleb's surf shop that's supposed good if you're feeling that."

Ace nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"By the way," Sora said, both her eyebrows raising. "You've been spending a lot of money here. Kohaku's board, all my gifts, clothes, food – and you're a monstrous eater – how much money do you _have_?"

"That's a secret," Ace answered. He honestly didn't even know himself. He had a feeling though, that he was running low on cash. But he wasn't going to tell Sora that. The last thing he wanted was Sora paying for tonight's expensive dinner – that'd be like a bitch slap to his manhood.

She giggled. "Okay, then. If you run out of money, don't hesitate to ask the _boss_," she said, pointing a thumb at herself.

"Ha, ha," Ace said, ruffling her hair. "Be ready for our date tonight. Because it's going to be awesome."

She grinned. "I said I was looking forward to it, right?" she said. She pointed to another plate that was pushed out. "Now work."

"_Aneki_, what are you doing tonight?" Kohaku asked, coming into the bar shortly after they had delivered a few orders.

"Nothing," she said, and Ace pushed her playfully.

Kohaku's lips squeezed into a tiny O. "Are you going out with Ace tonight?"

"Yes," Ace answered with a grin. "Why, what's up? She's mine, you know, you can't take her." He slung his arm around Sora's shoulders, and the woman just rolled her eyes.

"Can you do lunch, then? Mom wants to meet Ace," Kohaku asked with a grin.

"Mom? I thought you floated here," Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. His eyes widened. "Wait, did you lie about that, too?"

Sora laughed, shaking her head. "No, I really did float here."

Ace narrowed his eyes. "Wait…so that means…"

"So, you can make lunch, right?" Kohaku asked, laughing at Ace's confusion and Sora's lack of clarification.

"Ask Eiichi," Sora said, gesturing at the man when he came behind the bar.

Eiichi sighed. "Fine, go do whatever you want. I'm always here, right?"

Kohaku smiled and nodded. "Thanks!"

"What time did Mom want us over?" Sora asked, slipping out from under Ace's arm to grab a water pitcher and fill several glasses at the counter.

"Mom?" Ace asked again, but Sora pretended like she didn't hear.

"Soon, I guess," Kohaku shrugged. "She started cooking a while ago."

Sora laughed. The woman knew that Sora couldn't say no to her cooking. She had been planning lunch all along. Sora wiped her hands and undid her apron. "We'll be there in a bit. Is Corinne coming, too?" she asked, smirking at Kohaku, who flushed so much that steam was blowing out of his ears.

"Yes. Shut up!" he said, and darted out of the bar, Sora's laughter carrying out after him.

She crossed her arms. "They're so cute, don't you think?" She turned to Ace but he was just staring at her through little slits. "What's with that face?"

"I'm an idiot."

Sora's eyes widened and her eyebrows raised. She nodded vigorously, and sarcasm dripped fro her words. "Oh, _Ace_! Have you finally come to terms with it? I'm relieved that you've realized this. Now we can begin therapy."

"Shut up," Ace said, shoving her face away. "Kohaku's not your brother is he?"

"Yeah he is," Sora said, running a hand through her hair, and then tying it nicely over her shoulder.

"But how can he be your brother if he floated here? You're like, fifty years older than him, he wasn't even born yet!" Sora smacked Ace's arm and he laughed. Ace removed his apron and tossed it into the same bin Sora did.

Sora smiled. "Kohaku is my brother by marriage."

Ace nodded slowly. "I see," he said, as though this were still an iffy topic for Sora, but the woman laughed, waving him off.

"But he called me _aneki _long before Ken and I got married, though, and I always kind of considered him my real brother anyway," she said with a shrug. She paused, and then looked up at Ace with her big blue eyes. "Wanna meet Mom?"

"Ken's mom," said Ace, trying to wrap his mind around this fact.

Sora just smiled and nodded. "My mom."

Ace grinned at her. "Yeah."

The woman held her hand out and Ace gladly took it, his fingers memorizing its place between hers. "Bye, Izou," Sora said, and the man just smirked and waved without another word.

"I thought you didn't have a family," Ace asked.

"I didn't really. Before I left to become a marine, I didn't really feel like I could _really _call anyone here family because I never_ really _stayed with anyone for a long time besides Ken. It was only after Ken and I got married that I started calling her 'Mom' though, and it kind of stuck," she said with a shrug. "She's technically my mom by marriage anyway."

"Do you consider yourself still married?" The question had been burning at the back of Ace's mind, like a dim flame during a storm. It would flicker and waiver but he never could find the courage to ask until now. Did she still love Ken? Of course she did. She always would. But was she still _married_? He never saw her wear the red ring she talked about.

Sora shrugged. "Do _you_ consider me married?"

Ace's eyes narrowed again. "Is this a trick? I don't want to offend you so please don't ask questions like that."

She giggled, shaking her head. "No, it's an honest question. I don't even know if I consider myself married."

"Really? This isn't a trick?" he asked, and Sora nodded. Ace was quiet for a while and seemed to think. "I think…that you're still married. That kind of bond doesn't just disappear just because that person isn't here anymore. A part of you will always be married to Ken."

Sora was surprised by his answer. She had expected him to say no. Sora had never really thought of it that way – that a part of her would always stay married to Ken. "So, is there a part of me that isn't married?"

Ace lifted the hand that was joined with her own and grinned sheepishly. "This part. Otherwise I'm an asshole for holding hands with a married woman." Sora laughed and smacked his shoulder with her other hand.

Ace was glad that Sora could talk to him about Ken now. Ken had obviously played a huge role in her life and he was glad that she could share that with Ace quite easily now. She could say Ken's name now, and mentioned things like their marriage without so much as a flinch. He felt that by Sora telling him about Ken, she was able to say her feelings aloud and that was how she was coming to terms with them. It was a nice feeling – having the privilege to help Sora heal.

Sora pushed open the door to a small house, and kicked off her slippers. "_Tadaima_," she called, and a woman poked her head out from another room. She was in her early fifties, her blonde hair slightly graying. She smiled warmly at Sora.

"_Okairinasai_," she greeted, wiping her hands and coming to the door. Ace closed it behind him and grinned at the woman, holding his hand out.

"Hi, my name Portgas D. Ace. It's really great to meet you," he introduced, and Sora smiled. She thought it was cute how Ace was so polite.

"Takamune Eri," the woman greeted, taking his hand. "I'm glad that I finally get to meet you as well." She turned to Sora and opened her arms, smiling. Sora released Ace's hand for a moment to wrap around the older woman. "I'm glad you could come by. I really missed you."

"Sorry, he's been keeping me kind of busy these days," Sora said, gesturing at Ace.

"Please, both of you have a seat. Lunch will be ready shortly," she said, and made her way towards the stairs. "Kohaku! Corinne! Ace and Sora are here!"

Sora smirked as Kohaku came bounding down the stairs, a tiny red headed girl in tow. Kohaku widens his eyes as big as he possibly can as though to scream, "DON'T EMBARRASS ME!" and moves towards the two to greet them. "Glad you guys could come," Kohaku said, grinning up at Ace.

"Hi, Corinne!" Sora called extremely loudly, enough to make Corinne jump a little.

"Hi, Sora," she giggled.

"What have you been up to lately?"

Corinne shrugged. "Well, nothing really. School, I guess."

"Oh, I forgot that there is school," Sora laughed. "I was not a good student in primary school." Primary school was a lot more lax on Arashi Island; it was only several days a week for several hours – but those hours were quite intense.

"Sora didn't know how to read until she was ten," Kohaku teased and Ace tried to hold in a snicker as Sora slapped his shoulder playfully.

"I didn't like school," Sora said, shrugging and Ace rolled his eyes.

Eri came out with platters of food. Ace wasn't particularly hungry at this moment but just one sniff of her cooking and he felt his stomach growl. "I made a lot of food," Eri assured him, smiling. "Kohaku told me about your appetite."

"You, ah, didn't need to do that," he said, a little embarrassed.

Eri just smiled. "It's fine. Sora used to have an appetite just as big as you."

Ace raised an eyebrow and turned, smirking. "Really?"

"I was a pirate," Sora said, holding her hands up and shrugging.

"You were really different back then, huh?" Ace asked, pulling out Sora's chair so she could sit. He placed himself next to her, scooting in.

"Kohaku, Corinne, can you come help bring out food?" Eri asked the younger kids, who happily obliged, leaving Sora and Ace alone.

Sora shrugged again. "I guess. I don't know. It's been a long time."

"Come out to sea again," Ace said before he could stop himself. Sora seemed surprised by his invitation. "I'm totally serious. Come out again. I'd really like to be with you out on the sea."

Sora smiled apologetically, averting her eyes. "I can't, Ace."

Ace grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Think about it, okay?" he said, completely serious. He didn't want to think about leaving her. But he also couldn't stay on the island. What better way than to have her come out with him? He didn't particularly care if she took over again as second division commander. As long as he could stand by her side, then he was happy.

Sora just smiled as though saying that she would think about it. Ace glanced around the room as he waited for Eri, Kohaku, and Corinne, noticing that there was an altar near the fire place. In a simple black frame was a photograph – the same photograph that was in Sora's bar. Ken was dressed in his marines uniform with his arm around Sora, Kohaku in the front of them, three three smiling happily. They had been a happy family, hadn't they?

He noticed the sword in front, placed nicely on a stand. It had a white sheath with gold engravings. The hilt was gold as well, still shining, the handle wrapped with dark red. He vaguely recognized the sword, but even if he hadn't, he known that it had been Ken's.

"_Masamune_," Sora said, noticing Ace staring. "It was Ken's sword while he had been a marine. It's a _meitou _he had found while on a mission."

"Oh, I see," Ace said. Even though Sora seemed okay, Ace honestly still felt a little awkward talking about Ken. "It's a nice sword. You were a swordsman, too, right?"

Sora nodded. "Yup."

"Why aren't you anymore?" he asked, remembering Sora's gun scythe during her fight with Marco. Even in the spar between Ace and Sora, she still hadn't used a sword. Marco told him that Sora used to be a swordsman while she was on the _Moby Dick_, too.

Sora shrugged. "I kinda gave everything up after Ken died." She laughed, glancing over at Ace, who was looking painfully uncomfortable. "You're silly, you know. I said it's okay to ask about Ken and stuff, don't be so awkward about it."

"But it kind of _is_ awkward," Ace admitted. He shook his head and waved her off. "I'm really happy that you told me about him and everything but I can't help but feel like I'm, I don't know, intruding, and I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"You're the one that looks uncomfortable," Sora laughed. She smiled at Ace. "Don't worry. I trust you. If there's something you want to know about anything, then just ask."

"Okaaaaay," Ace said, still sounding unsure, and Sora giggled.

Eri and the kids came back in with more platters of food, setting it down on the table. There was spaghetti, and a sandwich platter, a giant bowl of tossed salad, _misoyaki_ butterfish, cream and mushroom pork chops, a boiling _shabu-shabu _pot, turkey drum sticks, and the rice pot itself all splayed out on the table. "This is _lunch_?" Ace asked, bewildered. How long had Eri been cooking for?

Eri laughed at Ace's expression, sitting down across of them. "Enjoy."

Sora, Kohaku, and Corinne clapped their hands together, grinning. "_Itadakimasu_!"

Ace smiled at the three of them, also digging into the food. It was _delicious_. Eri was such a fantastic cook; he understood why Sora couldn't resist.

"So, Ace, where are you from?" Eri asked, nibbling at her own serving of butterfish.

"East Blue. I'm from Dawn Island," Ace said proudly, grinning at Eri, who smiled in response. "It's a really small place but that's where I grew up, so it's really important to me."

"You've come a long way, then," the older woman said, her eyes crinkling as she smiled.

Ace nodded. "Yup. It's nice to be on an adventure, though. I get to meet great girls like Sora," he said nudging the woman next to him, who didn't even seem like she was listening as she pulled more food onto her plate. She slapped Kohaku's hand away as he tried to take some of her _shabu-shabu _beef.

"Cook your own," she told the younger boy with a mouth full of food, tossing raw beef into the broth to cook it for him. Kohaku just grinned, taking a monstrous bite out of the turkey leg, knowing that his sister was going to make it for him anyway.

Ace chuckled. "Kinda weird, but she's still great. Are you born and raised on Arashi Island?"

Eri nodded. "It's been my home, always. My parents grew up here, too. It's home to me and to everyone else here. We're all really grateful for Sora protecting us."

The young man nodded. Everyone appreciated Sora here. How could he be so selfish as to have asked her to come out to sea with him? He suddenly felt sick. He wondered if Sora was disgusted with him right now. He glanced over at her shoveling her food in her mouth left and right and laughed a little. He dismissed that thought. They were at that point in their friendship where he knew that if she thought something he said was inappropriate, she would be able to tell him now.

"_Kaachan,_ this _misoyaki _is the best," Sora said, holding up her chopsticks to show Eri, who just laughed, thanking her. Ace smiled. Sora really did act like Eri was her own mother. She must have been really close to Eri growing up.

"Sora, have you ever thought about becoming a pirate again?" Eri asked, surprising everyone at the table.

"Hmm?" she responded, looking up from her food.

"Just a question," Eri said with a shrug.

Sora shrugged. "I dunno. Should I be a pirate again?"

Eri mimicked Sora's motion. "If it makes you happy."

"What about you guys? I can't just leave you defenseless," Sora said, shoving salad into her mouth.

Eri just sighed as though this were the same response Sora gave often. Ace wondered how many times people asked if she wanted to be a pirate and encouraged her to go out to see. Ace understood why she wanted to stay. At the back of her mind, she wanted to avenge Ken. But Ace also knew that revenge could be a painful dogma. If she ever fulfilled her revenge, he wondered what she would do next. From what she had divulged, Ace couldn't shake the feeling that Sora felt the reason she lived now was not to protect Arashi Island, but to avenge Ken. If she did that, what would she live for? Would she even continue to live? Ace didn't want to think about it.

"Anyway, Ace, how is being the second division commander?" Eri asked, returning the conversation back to her newest guest.

"Great," Ace answered with a grin. "I just run campaigns and stuff, take care of my crew members. I always ask Marco to be the advance party, but he never lets me."

Sora choked laughter. "Marco always let _me_ the advance party."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Of course he did," he sighed. "And Marco always says I'm pretty loud, so it's like, what's the point of me being the advance if they're just gonna notice me anyway?" he grinned and Eri laughed.

"I was Marco's favorite. He was always like, Sora, you are the most amazing, most awesomest division commander that ever existed, and you know that if I weren't first division commander, you would totally take my spot and rule the seas," Sora said, trying to imitate Marco's voice jokingly and, receiving a sarcastic looking face from Ace. She giggled, returning to her food.

"My brother's going to be a pirate, too," Ace said to Eri, who looked interested, nodding her head for him to continue. Sora thought it was so cute that Ace bragged about his younger brother, even when he hadn't even done a thing yet. "Yeah, he's gonna set sail in a little while when he turns seventeen, and I really just _know _that Luffy's gonna make it to the top, you know? But of course, as the older sibling, I can't exactly tell him that, right? Gotta give my little bro something to shoot for."

"Mm, I totally concur. You suck Kohaku. You'll _neeeeeever_ be as strong as _Aneki -sama_, muuuuuwahahahaha!" Sora said, wiggling her fingers as she laughed diabolically, food flying out of her mouth. Kohaku laughed, pushing her playfully.

"Shut up, I'm gonna be a great pirate!" he said with a grin. "When I'm old enough to set out, I'll be sure to meet your brother there at the top, too, _Aniki_!"

Ace grinned. "I hope so. I'll be waiting there with _Oyaji_."

Eri just laughed like she didn't care that her youngest son was determined to become a pirate. "Why not be a marine?" Sora asked. "Ken was a marine."

"But you were a pirate."

"I wanted to be a marine, though."

"I feel like I was born to be a pirate," Kohaku stated, smiling. "It's in my blood!"

"You have the blood of a _marine_, idiot," Sora teased, shoving his face aside gently. "But it doesn't matter. Do what you want. We'll be here behind you the whole way. You know that."

Kohaku grinned at his sister. "Yeah. I know."

"I'm glad you know. That's why I'm gonna start training you next year," Sora said, turning to Kohaku, whose entire body became filled with pure light.

"Really? Really, _Aneki_?" he squealed happily, bouncing up and down in his chair.

"Yeah, well, but you have to go to secondary schooling," Sora said, holding her finger up. Kohaku deflated like a balloon being released.

"Not more school!"

"School is good for kids. I went to secondary school," the woman said, shrugging. She studied hard during secondary school and managed to finish early, giving her time to set sail when she was sixteen. "No secondary school, no training from the greatest division commander that ever lived." Sora lifted her shoulders nonchalantly as Kohaku grumbled. Ace smiled at Sora's way of motivating her younger brother.

"_Fine_. I'll go to secondary school," he said as though his mother didn't have the final say in that. "But on off days, you _have _to train me! I want to be awesome like you and Ken, and Ace!"

Ace was actually flattered that he was included in that list. He felt his chest swell with pride, glad that Kohaku thought of Ace as someone he looked up to – someone strong. "Fine," Sora said, smiling. She had won. "I'll train you for six years."

"Six _years_?" Kohaku cried, slumping his shoulders. He turned to Eri. "Mom, tell Sora that that's too long! Six years is such a long time, _Aneki_!"

"You'll be seventeen," Sora said, chewing on more butterfish. "Ace's brother is leaving when he's seventeen."

"Yeah, but that's next year!"

"Yeah, so?"

"But you left when you were _sixteen_!"

"'Cause I'm _awesome_."

"Shut up, _Aneki_," Kohaku laughed, kicking his sister under the table. She giggled too, pushing his face away and grabbing more food for her plate. "Six years is too long."

"Yeah, Sora will be like, eighty by then. She won't even be able to move," Ace said, joining in and receiving a playful nudge from Sora.

"Five years," Kohaku said and Sora choked on more laughter.

"You can't _bargain_ with me, hot shot! I ain't gonna make deals with kids! Plus, _Kaachan_ is the one that makes the rules," Sora said, nodding to Eri, who just laughed.

"Whatever you want to do, Kohaku. Whenever Sora feels like you're ready is when you're good to leave," Eri said.

"Yup, six years, then," Sora piped back in, grinning at Kohaku. She tapped his foot with her own. "Stop looking so sad. You'll be out there soon, kid, no need to rush it. Become strong. The Grand Line is a dangerous place, you know. The last thing that you want is to go out there and be killed without even seeing anything amazing, you know? That's what being a pirate is about! Being strong and having adventures."

"That's right, you sailed by yourself and became the second division commander like nothing," Kohaku sighed, not at all sounding sarcastic. He really did sound a little depressed. In that moment, Ace realized that Sora had never told Kohaku about her first year out to sea. She had been thrashed by other crews and by Sea Kings and spent a long time aboard fighting against Whitebeard on his ship before she even became close to becoming the second division commander. He smiled. It might not be the most effective, but this was Sora's way of protecting Kohaku. Kohaku knew that Sora was strong. Maybe she felt like if she told him the reality of her first voyage, he would give up, or cower away, knowing that the great female pirate he looked up to really had it rough out on the ocean. She wanted him to experience it on his own. If he was crushed, then she knew that he would pick himself back up again because he believed his _Aneki _was able to do so much when she was so young.

"You really admire your little brother, too, don't you?" Eri said, bringing Ace's attention back.

Ace grinned. "Yeah. Luffy's great."

"Is he strong, too?" Kohaku asked, looking up at Ace.

Ace nodded, still smiling. "Super strong! I mean, he could never beat me, but that's fine. I don't mind covering for him until he can surpass me."

Sora smiled at that line, but didn't say anything, continuing to eat.

"Was it hard to say goodbye?" Corinne asked, speaking for the first time that lunch. She ate quite quietly, Ace seeming a bit surprised that she had spoken as well.

He smiled gently and shrugged. "Not really. It wasn't really a goodbye, I guess. I know that we're gonna meet again later on when he becomes a great pirate, so there wasn't so much a need for farewells."

Corinned smiled sweetly. "That sounds nice. I hope your brother does well."

Ace nodded, confident. "I know he will."

"Ready to clean up?" Sora asked Kohaku and Corinne. Ace looked up to see that the food was already gone. He had been so distracted with the vibe of the room that he had barely eaten. He'd tried everything – and everything had been delicious – but oddly enough, he was full.

"We'll clean up, _Kaachan_," Sora assured Eri. "Thank you for the meal!"

Corinne and Kohaku nodded. "Thanks!" they both said, smiling.

"You're very welcome," Eri replied, watching the three of them leave. Eri sighed happily. "It's been so long since I've seen Sora so talkative."

Ace smiled at that, knowing that that was a compliment. He was glad that the woman Sora considered a mother was glad that Ace could make her happy. "Ken really made her happy, and I really admire that he was able to keep her spirits up. I think I can make Sora happy in my own way, too," Ace said gently, and Eri smiled.

"I think so, too. She does seem a lot more...relaxed these days. Ken always kept her on her toes, but I feel like you're someone that she truly relies on. Someone that keeps her grounded. It's different, but also the same," she said, and laughed, waving him off. "Sorry, I'm not making any sense."

"No," Ace assured her, smiling politely. "Thanks. I really care about Sora."

"I can tell. I'm glad that she has met a man who can finally make her smile again. Ken would have wanted that," she replied, and Ace didn't know what to say. It was a little mind blowing that Eri was okay with Sora being with another man. He was glad that Eri didn't see him as Ken's replacement. That was the last thing he wanted to be.

Ace knew that Ken was amazing. From what Sora said, and from all that he used to read in the newspaper, he knew that Takamune Kenjiro was one of a kind. And _Sora _loved him. _Fuurin no Sora_, the strongest woman Ace had ever met had fallen in love with a man. Ace knew that Ken was special, that he had to be something completely out of this world for Sora, of all people, to really, truly love. And completely – _completely _– Ace respected that.

Ace wanted Sora to be able to fall in love with him, too, someday. But in her own way. And until then, he would wait patiently until she truly believed that he was everything she could ever ask for.

"I know I've never met Ken," Ace said slowly, trying to find his words. "But I really…respect him. He was a strong person, and I really believe that it's because of him, Sora is who she is today."

Eri smiled at Ace's kind words about her son. She now understood why some people said that Ace reminded them of Ken. They had the same warm heart. "I think the same thing. But there is always room for growth, and I also believe that Sora can grow into a stronger individual with you standing by her side."

Ace smiled, his freckles rising with his cheeks. "I promised her I'd never leave her and I'm planning on keeping true to that oath. I'm going to stay with her, even if we're thousands of miles apart."

"I'm glad," Eri said, and turned her head with the sound of playful shrieks from the kitchen. Sora was probably spraying the kids with the kitchen hose, as she was doing her diabolical laughter, and Ace chuckled. She was so weird. Eri turned back to Ace, her smile fading a little. "I know this might be a lot to ask of you, but do you mind if I ask you a favor?" she said quietly.

Ace blinked several times. "Yeah, sure. Anything."

Eri wrung her fingers for a bit. "There might be a time where you will have to protect Sora, even if she doesn't want you to. I'm going to ask that you stand by what is _right_ for her and just this once, go against her wishes and save her."

Ace looked confused. "Save her from what?"

Eri smiled gently. "Herself."

Ace opened his mouth to ask more, but Sora and the kids appeared in the dining room again, Sora wiping her hands on her shorts. "Ready to head back, ugly?" Sora asked Ace, who frowned.

"I liked 'studly' better." He decided to put Eri's words at the back of his mind. He didn't quite understand but he knew that he couldn't ask with Sora right here.

Sora and Eri hugged, Sora pulling away with a smile. "Thanks for lunch, _Kaachan_."

"Anytime, Sora," Eri answered. "Feel free to stop by whenever you're hungry. You too, Ace."

Ace grinned, hugging Eri as well. "Will do. Thanks for lunch, Eri."

"You're very welcome," she said with a smile, opening the door for them as they headed back to the bar.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading! **


	28. Chapter 28: Third Date

"Looks like you still need the boss to help you out," Sora said with a grin. She lifted her fingers to fiddle with Ace's tie, as he had poorly done it, never having tied a tie before. He was dressed in a deep crimson dress shirt under a black pinstripe vest. His slacks were also black pinstripe, and his tie was a pearly white. Sora tucked it into his vest, patting it down, and she giggled. "You look uncomfortable."

"I'm not used to wearing so much clothes," he answered with a grin. "Or this fancy of clothes."

She laughed. "You're the one that wanted to go somewhere fancy. Dinner tonight is like, top of the line shit, you know."

Ace chuckled and shrugged as though tonight was definitely not going to run him out of money. "I know. I wanted to take my princess somewhere swanky, you know, show her what it's like to be a fat cat. Plus you're cute in a dress."

Sora was wearing a sleek black dress that fell around her knees. It was held to her body by thin straps, and she let her dark hair cascade over her shoulders, and had placed a nice pearly white flower clip in her hair as well. She batted her eyelashes playfully. "Why, thank you. This was Ken's favorite dress."

Ace's face remained neutral as Sora laughed. "_Please_ don't start making Ken jokes. I don't know how to respond."

The woman giggled, shoving Ace teasingly. "Oh, you two just look adorable," Izou said, grinning at Sora and Ace, who smiled. "Third date tonight. You know what _that_ means!" he winked and playfully nudged Thatch, who was also laughing.

"What does that mean?" Sora asked, confused, and she felt Ace swing her around, pulling her into a dip. His hand rested on the small of her back as he grinned down at her playfully.

"Means I'm gettin' some tonight!"

Sora giggled and pushed him away, standing up straight. "In your dreams, studly. You're so gross."

Ace grinned and followed after her as she headed towards the door. "See ya!" he told Izou and Thatch, who waved, smiling at how happy their second division commander looked. Ace jogged for a bit to catch up with Sora, his hand automatically finding hers. "You look very nice tonight," he told her, and Sora smiled up at him.

"You, too."

Ace clutched his chest and turned his head to the sky, shutting his eyes. "Is this how it feels to be complimented? It's such an amazing feeling! I wish I was complimented more instead of being barraged by evil remarks!"

Sora giggled, swatting at Ace, who laughed. "Shut up, you. Are you sure you have enough money to pay for dinner tonight? I don't mind taking care of my half."

Ace made a face at Sora. "Hell, no, are you paying for anything tonight. Just let yourself be a princess for once and let daddy take care of the rest."

"If you call yourself 'daddy' one more time, I might punch you."

Ace dusted off his shoulder, cocking his head confidently. "Please, small boobs, you ain't got nothin' on me."

"Oh, my God, stop talking," she teased, and the two of them shared a laugh.

"Ah, glad to see you're finally out having fun, lass," said a loud voice and Sora felt a hand smack her back. She turned around to see Marshall D. Teach coming up beside her.

Sora forced herself to smile politely. She had forgotten what it felt like to be polite to a person she was uncomfortable around. Ace, however, grinned widely, shaking hands with Teach. "Nice to see you, man! Where've you been?"

Teach shrugged. "Out and about. Seems like you kids have been having fun, eh?"

"Ah, Sora's great," Ace said, slinging his arm around the woman. "The most awesome woman ever! We're going out to dinner."

"Well, don't let me keep you," Teach said, flashing a wide grin. He paused in step, not moving any further along with Sora and Ace and she suddenly felt a change in atmosphere, seeing Teach's eyes darken, like storm clouds closing in. "By the way, have you seen those little twin kids? I heard that they have something interesting."

Sora was quick to speak. "Oh, yeah, they're working on prosthetics," she said, keeping her voice casual. She was a master at pretending and Teach seemed to believe her, nodding as though in understanding.

"Ah, I see," the big man said, and his black beady eyes locked with Sora's. "Well, have a good time on your date."

"Thanks," Sora said, smiling sweetly, taking Ace's hand and heading off towards the restaurant while Teach went his own way, probably to the Sky Pub. He had most likely been hanging out at different bars through out the town. He didn't stay with any of the residents; he chose to live in a motel.

"What's up?" Ace asked, squeezing her hand. He could feel that she had suddenly become tense.

"It's gotten worse," Sora said, using her other hand to squeeze her temples. "That bad feeling. Since I last saw him, it's gotten worse. I don't know, you might think I'm being crazy but I just feel like something isn't right with Marshall. I feel like...I don't know. Just bad ju-ju, you know? It's like he isn't revealing his intentions."

Ace smiled and waved her off. "Don't worry, I guess he kind of gives that sort of impression at first."

"I've known him for eight years," Sora said. She wasn't insisting, she wasn't upset, she was just stating. Ace appreciated the fact that she was respecting that he was close to Teach. "Please promise me that if anything ever happens with Marshall, you'll deal with it."

"He's in my division," Ace said, nodding. "If anyone's gonna get on his case then it's gonna be me. I promise. Okay?"

Sora seemed satisfied, exhaling out all of her worry as they headed to the restaurant. "Okay. Also," she added, keeping her voice down. "Do _not_ let him near the twins."

Ace blinked several times, but nodded. Teach was friendly and social, but Ace had a feeling that Teach wasn't particularly close to anyone on the island. He did have to admit it was a little weird that Teach asked about Haruo and Akio when he had probably only spoken to them once or twice. But he decided to let Sora have this one. She was protective over the kids of the island and Ace respected that.

"How are their prosthetics coming along?" Sora asked, changing the topic to a lighter one.

"Great," Ace said enthusiastically. "It still punched Haruo in the face but they're getting the hang of really connecting it to nerves and stuff, so that they're the ones wearing it instead of the other way around. I think it'll be great!"

The woman smiled. "They're little geniuses, I swear. I actually suggested them to build prosthetics to really get the hang of robotics. Then after that, they can get into A.I. and really get places, you know? If they get really good, maybe they can get an apprenticeship with Vegapunk."

Ace nodded, excited about the idea. "Yeah, they're really smart kids. I'm sure they'd get it when they're old enough."

They approached the restaurant, a little hub near Caleb's surf shop. It was covered by a deep burgundy awning, and the host was dressed in a crisp black vest over a white dress shirt and black silk bowtie. "For two?" he asked Ace, who nodded. "Please follow me." He turned and started to weave through the restaurant, and placed two menus on a round table in the center of one of the rooms. "Your waiter will be with you shortly."

"Thanks," Sora said as she took a seat, Ace sitting across her. In the middle of the table was a single rose in a clear vase, a candle flickering in the dimly lit room.

"Very romantic," Ace said with a grin, and Sora giggled.

"I thought you'd say something like that," she said with a smile. "That's why I chose this place."

Ace wasn't sure if he heard right, and Sora laughed at his surprise, confirming that he did actually hear Sora say that she wanted to hang out with Ace in a romantic setting. Just that little thought made his heart swell. "Just tell me right now that you want me, and we'll skip the dinner and I will definitely show you a really romantic time."

Sora giggled at his joke. "Sorry, studly, no dice."

Ace sighed as though he hadn't expected that coming. "Ah, it was worth a shot."

"Hi, my name is Tai and I'll be your waiter for this evening," he said. He was also dressed in the same uniform as the host, his sandy brown hair styled in a fauxhawk. "Hey, Sora," he said seeming surprised.

"Oh, hey Tai," Sora greeted with a smile. "I didn't know you worked here now."

"Yeah, I started a couple months ago," he replied with a grin. He gestured to Ace. "Is, ah, this your date?"

"Yep, Portgas D. Ace, nice to meet you," Ace said, holding out his hand immediately. Tai smiled and shook it, not at all intimidated by Ace's friendliness.

"Oh, well, can I get something for you guys to drink?" the brown haired man said, pulling out a notebook.

"Water for me," Sora said.

"Water my ass," Ace countered. "Champagne would be great," he told Tai, who nodded.

"I'll be right back with some champagne," he said, heading off to the kitchen.

Sora laughed. "You don't have to be so extravagant. I don't need champagne."

"Well, you don't need to get drunk. Champagne is just better with food, right? And besides, I'm paying, so it's all good." Ace waved her off and Sora just responded with a smile. "So, how do you and Tai know each other?"

"We had sex."

"Shut up."

Sora giggled. "He's a friend of Ken's. Well, mine, too. He was born and raised here and was in Ken's division in the marines, but when his mom fell ill, he came back home to take care of her."

"Oh, I see. Is she doing alright?"

Sora nodded. "She's been better now that Tai is back. He works two jobs to pay for the bills and to take care of her. He's a really nice guy."

Ace paused for a moment, raising his eyebrows. "He liked you didn't he?"

The woman sighed. Ace could see right through her. "Yeah, for a little while I think so. But that's all over and done with now."

Ace laughed, pointing a finger. "I knew it. You are such a man magnet! All the men in the world want to be with you!"

"That's not true," she laughed.

"Yes, it is," Ace insisted. "But I'm the luckiest out of all of them, 'cause _I_ get to be with you."

Normally, Sora would have brushed off that sort of cheesy line but tonight, she found herself blushing and giggling girlishly. Ace grinned at this, glad that she didn't deny it. He really did feel lucky. Out of all the people that Sora could have been with, she was here with Ace. He reminded himself to remember that the next time he started to get jealous.

"Thatch has been helping out the twins a lot, huh?" Ace asked, changing the subject. Whenever he went with Sora to have lunch with Michio, Thatch was there with Akio and Haruo, working on prosthetics with the two boys.

Sora nodded as she flipped through the menu. "Yeah, I guess he has a little knowledge in mechanics? Who would have known?" she laughed. "The boys are happy, though. I think Michio feels a little better that there's another adult there that knows what the boys are talking about."

Ace chuckled, nodding. "How come you don't want Teach to go talk to the twins?"

Sora opened her mouth to speak, but Tai came back with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He popped the cork, and poured the golden liquid into both glasses, Sora and Ace thanking him. "Can I get you guys started on anything?"

"I'll have the gomadare filet minon," Sora said, closing her menu and handing it back to Ace. Ace realized he hadn't even looked at the menu yet and quickly picked it up now, knowing that it was his turn to order. Sora giggled and looked up at Tai, seeing Ace's eyes flickering from side to side as he read the entrees. "I think Ace would like the sansei filet minon."

"Okay, cool," Tai said, scribbling it down. "No appetizers?"

"No, thanks," Sora replied with a smile, and Tai turned and walked off. Ace looked up at her, grinning. "What?"

"That's cute. You ordered for me."

"Otherwise you would have taken forever."

"Would I really like the sansei filet minon?"

"Well, it's the steak and mushrooms and demi glace—"

"Sounds good."

"I know," she replied with a grin, and then stuck her tongue out at Ace.

"So, what were you gonna say about the twins?" Ace asked, making sure to go back to what he was originally talking about. He knew that Sora had a secret ability to avert conversations away from touchy topics.

She took a sip from her champagne and seemed to think for a while. "Okay," she said quietly. "But you can't tell anyone."

"Lips are sealed."

"Okay, well, four years ago when Adrian's group raided our island, Michio was fighting them as well – he and a bunch of other villagers boarded Adrian's ship in a move of defense, and tried to kill a couple people there, you know, deplete their numbers before more people came. And in the process, Michio…found something," Sora said, looking up from the table to lock eyes with Ace. "It was a devil fruit."

"Michio is a fruit user?" Ace asked, surprised.

Sora shook her head. "No. He just kept it – he didn't eat it. It's actually locked in a chest in his basement. He was going to sell it, but we had a talk and now he plans on giving it to the twins later. But only one person can have the devil fruit power, so if one of them eats it, then the other is powerless. The boys love each other and don't want to outshine each other, so they decided to wait until they can find a second fruit and then they'll eat it together."

"What fruit is it?"

Sora smiled at that, taking another sip of her champagne. "Guess you'll just have to find out when they set sail later in life, hm?"

"So, you don't know what it is," Ace summarized with a chuckle.

Sora giggled, shaking her head. "Nope, I haven't got a clue. I just don't want Teach going near them because I know he's going to ask, and I know they're not going to suspect anything and so they're going to tell him and something bad will happen."

Ace smiled gently. "Sora, I don't think Teach wants or needs a devil fruit."

The woman shrugged. "I just want to be careful. I love Akio and Haruo like my own little brothers and I don't trust Teach. How he even heard that they might have 'something interesting' is completely beyond me. That is _exactly why _I will not allow him to go near the boys."

Ace didn't completely understand Sora's paranoia about Marshall D. Teach, but he nodded anyway. He had a hard time believing that a friendly person like Sora would throw up her strongest defenses against her own _nakama_, and smile to his face about it. "There's definitely more to your feelings towards Teach, huh?" Ace guessed.

Sora shrugged. "No, not really," she laughed.

"Has he ever done anything fishy when you were division commander?"

She shook her head. "No."

"What is it, then?"

Sora paused for a moment took another sip from her champagne. She swirled it in her mouth for a moment, seeming to think. "It's like…you wake up in the morning, and it's sunny out, but you step one foot out the door, and you smell rain. And the next thing you know, you're in the middle of a hurricane. It's an inkling. It's a bad feeling. It's seeing through what is really there and honestly, Ace, I can't ever bring myself to trust that person. I love _Oyaji_. I love the crew. I love this island. To me, trusting that man is like discarding my feelings and turning my back on those that I love, and I can't do that." She looked up and suddenly, and just from the fierce look in her eyes, Ace realized that Sora was completely serious. "Marshall D. Teach is not and will never be my _nakama_."

"I see," he said, bringing his champagne glass to his lips. He had never heard Sora really talk badly about any person except Adrian. She was normally very polite and composed, but it was now that Ace really realized her feelings for Teach were not just a simple bad first impression. It was much deeper than that – it went much farther back than that.

"Sorry, I know that he's in your division now and stuff, it's just," she sighed and shook her head, "I'm sorry. I feel disrespectful."

Ace shook his head. "I understand and it doesn't bother me. Everyone's entitled to their own feelings and that's fine," he said with a shrug. He probably would never really even begin to fathom Sora's opinion about Teach but the best he could do was just accept it, even if he disagreed.

"What about you, then? Has there been anyone that you've disliked?" Sora asked with a smile.

Ace shrugged again. "Not in particular."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Really. No one in your entire life?"

"Besides Roger, no," Ace said with a grin. "I admit I was kind of a brat when I was a kid because I was more bitter about the Roger thing then than I am now. And I guess when I was kidnapped by _Oyaji_, I didn't like him, but my feelings have changed; Whitebeard is my only father and I'm really happy with that. He accepts me and loves me for who I am – and so does the crew – so how could I hate people for loving someone like me? I've changed a lot since when I was in East Blue; I love my brother more than anything and my _nakama _are really great people. I don't know if it's really possible for me to dislike anyone I meet in my travels."

The older woman smiled. It was this kind of energy that made being around Ace so comfortable. He was always surrounded by people; it was his nature to be so open to others. She wondered what kind of person he was when he first came aboard the _Moby Dick _and she wondered if that experience had really molded him into the man sitting in front of her right now. And at that moment, Sora couldn't help but miss the sea. The ocean was the thing that really transformed everything, wasn't it? It had brought her to Whitebeard eight years ago, and brought Ace to her today. She couldn't be more thankful.

"Here we go," Tai said, placing a warm plate in front of Sora. "Gomadare filet minon, and sansei filet minon." He placed the second plate in front of Ace and smiled at the two of them. Steam floated off both dishes, filling their nostrils with flavorful scents. "Enjoy."

"Thanks," Ace said with a grin, pulling up his sleeves slightly.

Sora was about to tell him to eat like a human – as they were in a fancy restaurant – but to her surprise, Ace grabbed the knife and fork and began to cut his meat, seeming to be trying his best to eat civilly in public. Sora giggled at him struggling to not just destroy the food in front of him, as the excited expression on his face gave away the fact that he did think Sora's suggestion was quite delicious. She sighed happily, smiling at Ace. "Go ahead, you silly bean."

Ace flashed her a grin and picked the napkin off his lap, tucking it into the collar of his shirt. He stabbed the fork right in the center of the meat, ripping a piece out with his teeth. Sora laughed as he used the spoon to shovel mushrooms and sauces into his mouth as he chewed. "You're right, this is awesome," he said, spittles of food flying from his mouth and despite the fact that they were attracting attention, Sora just laughed. She actually thought that he was really cute.

She had begun to notice a lot more about Ace recently. The way his wavy ebony hair fell into his face, the way his cheeks rose when he smiled, bringing his freckles with it; his brown eyes that were almost gold in the sun, but at night when they laid together, talking, in the light of the moon, they were silver. Despite his laid back personality, Sora knew that he carried a lot of insecurities, but he did well hiding them and trying to deal with them on his own. He was a gem himself, so precious, but so fragile.

He continued to jam food into his mouth, pouring champagne in so he wouldn't choke, and honestly, even though he was being quite barbaric, the only thing Sora wanted to do right now was reach over the table and kiss him. And once she thought about it, it overwhelmed her, possessing her. The urge to leap at him encroached on her entire body, her urge building and growing, spreading like a wildfire. She wanted to kiss Ace _right now_.

Sora clutched the edge of the table, shifting her weight to her feet. She was going to leap at him, pounce on the man sitting across her. She couldn't even tell if she was breathing, and she stared in front of her at this man who, in such a short amount of time was able to help her heal. This man who always made her laugh. This man whose warmth she got lost in. This man whose crooked grin could chase away her demons. This man, Portgas D. Ace, who was everything that she could ever ask for.

"Oy, you gonna eat that?" Ace asked, swallowing his food and gesturing to hers.

Sora exhaled, feeling heavy again as she was grounded, the world slamming back into place around her. "What?" she asked, still dazed.

"Your steak?" Ace said, pointing at the piece of filet minon sitting uneaten on her plate. "'Cause I mean, this is awesome and everything but I can definitely eat another one, and we can just order you ramen at Michio's," he teased, grinning.

Sora laughed, relieved to feel her sudden urge to pounce Ace dissipate. She couldn't afford the complications that came with what would have happened if she did kiss him. At least, not right now. She looked down at her food and smiled. "Yeah," she said. "I'm gonna eat."


	29. Chapter 29: Reade Morganna

"Shopping!" Sora cried, throwing her hands up in the air.

Eiichi sighed, shaking his head. "Of course, boss, have a lovely day shopping while I tend to your bar."

Sora grinned, picking her blue wallet out from a cubby under the bar. "I'll buy you something," she said, grinning and Eiichi sighed. He had just become accustomed to Sora not working much and he didn't mind. She seemed happier and that was the thing most important to Eiichi.

"I wanna come too!" Ace piped, spinning off the chair and launching himself at Sora, wrapping his arms around her. She laughed, trying to wrench him off.

"Stop being so clingy!" Sora teased, but Ace just squeezed her harder.

"I wanna come!" he said again, lifting her off the ground. "Let's go shopping, small boobs!"

"Bye, Eiichi," Sora giggled as Ace marched out the door with her in tow. Her friend just smiled and waved.

"Where are we going?" Ace asked, standing still as he glanced around.

"Shopping," Sora laughed, trying to free herself.

"Town square, then," he said, pivoting on his heel and starting to walk left.

"No, the shopping street," Sora said, pointing right. "The annual fashion sale is today and I want new clothes. Let me down, Ace," she laughed, and Ace finally released her. She pretended like she was going to run away, sprinting for five steps, and Ace was actually going to chase her. But she turned and grinned, holding out her hand for him to hold.

"You're the clingy one. You can't go anywhere without big daddy right with you," Ace said, lacing his fingers through hers. Sora scoffed and pulled her hand away, making a face at him.

"Oh, please," she teased, poking his nose. They made a turn and entered the shopping district, which was surprisingly very close to the bar. The street was lined with vendors and outdoor sales with big red tags announcing the sales they were having. "Just for that, no hand holding for you today."

Ace shrugged. "Whatever, you said it not me. Later, you're gonna be like, oh Ace, I want to hold your hand _so hard _and I'll be like, sorry, princess, you're the one that made the new crazy decree of no hand holding so now it's against the law. And you'll be like, oh, but please, big daddy, please hold my hand, and I'll say, oh, princess—"

Sora burst out laughing, shoving Ace playfully. "Shut up!"

"Ooh, _andagi_," Ace said, his attention already elsewhere as he veered off towards a stand, handing over some money for several sticks of _andagi_. He turned to Sora, his cheeks puffy with food. "Want some? Daddy will take care of you today, princess."

"Oh, shut up," Sora said, rolling her eyes. She made her way over to Ace, taking a stick that he handed her and laughing at him buying off so many from the stand that the seller actually looked quite alarmed.

"Sora?" asked a voice and Sora whirled around, recognizing it.

Sora narrowed her eyes but forced her lips to smile upon glancing upon the speaker. She was tall and slender, her blonde hair falling down her shoulders perfectly, not a strand out of place. She was dressed in a black and baby blue corset under a black leather jacket. Her black leather jeans hugged her legs, and her boots were calf high, stiletto heels digging into the dirt. A pirate hat was placed on top of her head, an electric blue feather swooping out of it. "Morganna," Sora greeted sourly, biting off a piece of _andagi, _chewing rudely, spittle flying from her mouth.

Ace turned at the sound of Sora talking, swallowing his food, and Sora glared viciously as the woman's attention shifted from her to Ace. "Oh, you're cute," she said sweetly, flashing a toothpaste commercial worthy smile. "My name is Reade Morganna," she said, holding her delicate hand out to Ace.

Ace swallowed his food, shaking her hand. "Portgas D. Ace. Nice to meet you," he said with a grin. Even though Ace always introduced himself to people that way, a part of Sora couldn't help but flare up. Ace was so polite and friendly; he couldn't ignore a handshake. Sora looked at Morganna's hand as though a rodent had crawled on it and vomited all over her flesh.

"You're very cute. You're the new division commander on Whitebeard-_sama_'s ship, hm?" Morganna said, batting her eyelashes.

Ace nodded, not seeming to acknowledge her comments about his appearance. "Yup." He popped another _andagi _into his mouth.

The blonde woman scoffed. "What's a man like you doing out with _Sora_?" she said Sora's name with apparent distaste.

Ace opened his mouth to speak but at that moment, Sora looped her hand with Ace's, linking their fingers together. "We're on a date," Sora said, leaning into Ace, squeezing his hand. "We were just going shopping and then we were going to have lunch together and maybe catch something at the cinema. Right, Ace?" She looked up at the younger man for confirmation.

Ace swallowed his food, blinking several times. "Yup," he said with a grin. He was glad that Sora seemed quite protective over him – he was more than glad, actually, he was pretty ecstatic and resisted the urge to run down the streets cheering – but he didn't really understand why.

"What are _you _doing here?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow at Morganna. "You know we don't have any treasure here for petty second rate pirates like you."

"Ha," Morganna scoffed, flipping her hair. "As if I'm here for something like that in my own _hometown_, Sora. I'm here for the shopping. Arashi Island has some rather decent designers and I like sales."

"Oh, right, I suppose you need clothes to go on sale due to unsuccessful _plundering_," Sora responded, Ace thoroughly confused as to why Sora was being a little catty. It was interesting, though, seeing her really acting like a girl. It was actually kind of cute.

"Speak for yourself," Morganna responded, flicking a hand at Sora, gesturing at her clothes. "You're the one that needs sales more than me."

"At least I don't need to steal from other people to buy my clothes."

Morganna flipped her hair again, unaffected. "Well, I have to be on my way. It's a waste of my time speaking to tasteless women like you," she said, glancing down at Sora. She turned her eyes up to Ace and smiled sweetly. "I would love to chat with you some other time, Ace-_san_. See you around." She moved past them, wiggling her fingers at Ace.

"Buh-bye," Ace said, Sora tugging him in the other direction, her cheeks puffed out angrily. Ace smiled slightly; she was so cute, he couldn't stand it. But he decided it was probably not best to say that aloud; he could let Sora know that he did enjoy her overprotective attitude later. So, instead, he said, "How do you know Morganna?"

Sora scoffed, shaking her head. "Morganna used to live here but only for a little while before she set off to be a pirate. She didn't have much success so she ended up being just a treasure hunter," Sora laughed at this, shaking her head. "She's a couple years younger than me but she had a big crush on Ken when she lived here when we were kids and even had the nerve to try and steal him away from me." Sora rolled her eyes at this, bitter.

"Oh, I see," Ace said. "Should I not hang out with her?"

"Do what you like," Sora said, shrugging as though she didn't care, but her actions from before contradicted her statement.

"I'd really rather spend time with you," Ace said, grinning, and to his surprise, saw Sora's cheeks color.

"I know," she said confidently, looking up at him and grinning. "I'm way hotter."

Ace chuckled at this, handing her another stick of _andagi_. "Definitely."

Sora shrugged, sighing as though all the pent up cattiness from her younger days with Morganna steamed out of her body. "Sorry about being so crazy," she said, not unlacing her fingers from Ace's. He didn't mind, though, and didn't bother mentioning the "decree" she had made five minutes ago. "Morganna brings out the worst in me. Reflexes from when I was still a teenager and _hated _when she talked to Ken."

Ace chuckled. "Oh, it _is_ possible for the mighty Belleville D. Sora to be jealous!" he teased, receiving an eyeroll from Sora.

"Yeah, but not anymore," Sora said, punching Ace's shoulder lightly.

Ace laughed. "Right, right, okay," he said skeptically as though he didn't believe her. "So, are we really on a date or not?" His tone was light, so Sora knew that he was just making fun of her.

"Do you want it to be a date?"

"Yes."

Sora smiled. "Then it's a date."

Ace pumed his fist, whooping loudly, and Sora smacked his shoulder, giggling. "Shut up, people are going to think you're weird."

"I don't care. We're on date number four! Let's go shopping and then let's go to the movies," Ace said, nudging Sora so hard that she was actually being pushed. She laughed, waving her hand and swatting him away.

"Okay," she said, smiling at him gently. "I heard of a really good action film that they were supposed to be playing."

"Great!" Ace responded, literally hopping into the air, causing Sora to giggle. She had to admit that it was actually quite cute that he was so excited to hang out with her. She actually wanted to spend time with him today. More than three months had gone by since the first day she saw Portgas D. Ace coming up the beach and Sora was dreading the day when he would tell her that he had to leave.

So, she wanted to cherish the time they spent together. She knew it would hurt when he told her he was going to leave but instead of distancing herself to prepare for it, she just wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Of course, she wouldn't tell him any of that, though.

"What's up, small boobs?" Ace asked, nudging her again, but softer this time. She was surprised that he could sense even the slightest bit of unease in her now. He really did know her.

"Oh, nothing," she said, smiling.

"Okay," he said, patting her on the head with his other hand. He made a completely serious face and pointed out in front of him. "Let the fourth date commence!"

* * *

"Morning," Ace greeted, coming down the stairs. He didn't wait for Sora to respond, wrapping the older woman in a tight hug as she giggled.

"Good morning, studly," she told him, pushing him off gently. Their date had lasted all day yesterday. They had finished shopping and gone to the movies and had dinner together as well. Sora even liked falling asleep together. She was becoming accustomed to Ace's warmth and loved cuddling with him now.

"I'm going out today," he said, kissing her cheek.

"Oh?"

Ace made his way out from behind the bar and shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, Morganna offered to show me around and I figured that, you know, since I'm not clingy and we already had an amazing fourth date yesterday, I'd go ahead and give you your space to work and have some you-time today," Ace said with a smile. Sora blinked several times. "That's okay right?"

When had Morganna even gotten the chance to invite Ace anywhere? And why was Ace even going? Maybe that was Sora's fault because in his time here, she really hadn't shown him around but she figured he had been here long enough to be able to know where everything was. The last person in the world that Sora wanted Ace to spend time with was Morganna. But Sora just smiled and shrugged as though she didn't care. "You don't have to ask me, silly. I don't care what you do."

Ace leaned over the counter and kissed her on the cheek again, grinning at her. "Okay, small boobs. I'll be back for dinner, okay?"

"Okay," Sora said, waving as he left, insisting on keeping her fake smile plastered on her mug until the door closed. The moment the bell jingled, Sora sighed, blowing her hair out of her face with a huff. _Morganna_. Damn that Morganna. She didn't know where boundaries were, did she? First Ken and now Ace? It seemed like she only wanted the things that Sora had.

Wait, why did Sora even care? She and Ace weren't dating or anything. They were just friends. Sora shouldn't care whether or not Ace was going to be out hanging around another woman. Sora made a face. She had always given Ace crap about being jealous, and now she realized that she was exactly the same way.

"Feathers ruffled?" Izou asked, making Sora jump a little. She hadn't even seen him sitting a few seats down, witnessing the whole thing.

Sora scoffed, tossing her head back for emphasis of how little she cared. "Me? Never."

Izou laughed, waving her off. "Oh, come on, you can't play me, Belleville. Go and pounce on Ace before Morganna does."

"I will be doing no pouncing," Sora reassured him, shaking her head and shrugging. "It's totally fine with me if Ace wants to go hang out with that dirty slut."

Izou held up his hands. "Woah, woah, no need to get nasty, Sora," he laughed. "What is it with you and Morganna anyway?"

Sora sighed. "I don't even know," she said, tugging her hair. "She just makes me crazy. I do not like that woman."

"You should just tell Ace that you don't want him to hang around her," Izou suggested, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure he would be happy that you want him just to yourself."

"That's not true," Sora defended, puffing her cheeks out in a cute defiance. "Ace can do whatever he wants."

"So, if he slept with Morganna, you would be okay with that?"

"I would totally be okay with that," Sora lied. She felt her stomach drop. What if Ace slept with Morganna? Sora didn't want to think about that. It wouldn't happen anyway. Right? Ace liked _Sora_ and he wasn't going to change his mind just because some blonde babe suddenly showed up, right?

Sora blew the hair out of her face. What did it matter if Ace liked her? They were friends. Sure, she had that really weird moment in the restaurant where she was going to leap across the table and mount him but those feelings were…suppressed now. Sora closed her eyes and leaned on the table, burying her head in her arms with a groan as Izou laughed. Sora _hated _that Ace was hanging out with Morganna and she knew she would definitely be bothered if any part of Morganna got anywhere near Ace – like if they slept together, or even kissed – Sora knew that she would probably explode.

"You should be a crazy stalker and just follow them around," Izou teased, poking her head. "I'd come with you! We could be like spies! I've always wanted to be a spy."

"No," Sora groaned, lifting her head slightly. "I'm not crazy. I don't want to stalk them. If Ace wants to hang out with Morganna, then whatever. We're having dinner together anyway so that bitch can suck it!"

Izou chuckled, patting her head. "You're so cute, I can't stand it. You're acting like you're seventeen again, Sora."

"I don't like Morganna," was all Sora said as she stood up again.

Izou just smiled as the younger woman stomped away, obviously upset that Ace was spending time with a woman that was not her. He wished she would just straight up tell him that she cared about him and that she wanted to the be only woman in his life, but Izou knew that was very unlike Sora. He expected her to drag it out all the way until the end and maybe not even be able to say anything to Ace, but Izou hoped it wouldn't be that way. Sora deserved to be happy and he knew that if she just told Ace how she really felt, then he would be able to make her happy for real.

For some time now, Izou could sense something odd about Sora – something that wasn't there four years ago before Ken died. Sora used to be so full of light – the weird little girl on board the _Moby Dick _– but now she was…different. At first, Izou thought that it was just because Ken died. Ken dying also meant that a part of Sora had died as well, and Izou thought that that's what it was – the part of Sora that was different. It was different because it wasn't there anymore.

But as the years went by, Izou realized that wasn't what was wrong with Sora. She was still full of light, but at the same time, it was hollow. It was empty. Is was like a lightbulb without the filament – she gave off the image that she was peppy and bright, when really, there was no source. Izou thought that maybe Ace would be able to fill that void, and while he did, somewhat, at the same time, he didn't.

Izou knew how to read people. He had known four years ago that Ken was hiding something from Sora and he knew now that there was something that Sora wasn't saying. Izou had a feeling that he wasn't the only one that could sense it, but he didn't really want to mention it to the only other person that could: Marco. Out of the Whitebeard pirates, Marco had been the closest to Sora, and he knew her the best. But Izou also knew that while Sora was suffering, Marco was, too. Even if Marco could see what was wrong with Sora, he wouldn't be able to know what it was. It was a fruitless effort to even ask.

But through out the years, it kept Izou wondering. He didn't mention it to Sora, or _Oyaji_. He wanted to know what 'it' was first. He had heard Michio and Eiichi occasionally suggest for Sora to go out to sea again – always when they thought no one else was listening – but the woman would just smile politely and decline, saying she had things to do here.

Izou would scoff at that. Things to do? Sora was a waitress at a bar. What else did she really _need _to do here besides take care of Kohaku and go shopping? Belleville D. Sora wasn't a civilian. She was never a civilian and was never going to be one for as long as she lived. Sora was a pirate and everyone knew that she did want to come out on the ocean with them again, but she never did, even when her own island said it was okay. Izou didn't understand.

Izou spent most of the day thinking about what it could possibly be that made Sora seem so different. He watched the way she walked and talked and to any other person, it would have looked like she was okay. But Izou knew better. Sora was the master of pretending.

Sora worked all day until around dinner time, when she left to get ready to have dinner with Ace. When she came back down again, dressed in a loose tank top and shorts, Ace was back. Sora scowled at the woman hanging off his arm.

"Oh, Sora," Ace said, weaseling out from Morganna's grasp. Ace grinned at her, but before he could speak, Morganna appeared next to him, taking his arm again. Ace looked surprised, but Sora knew that he was too polite to shake her off.

"Ace-_san_ and I are going to go eat," Morganna said, smiling at Sora. "We had a great day out this afternoon."

"Oh?" Sora said, crossing her arms over her chest. Izou turned at the sound of Morganna's voice and couldn't help but smirk. "Too bad for you because Ace and I have already made plans for dinner."

"I know, and I'll be joining you. This bar serves food, right?" Morganna asked smugly.

To Ace's surprise, Sora grabbed his wrist and pulled him to her side, breaking Morganna's grasp. She stepped forward, glaring at Morganna through deep cerulean eyes. "Yes, it does, and _we _– Ace and _I _– are eating here. So, back off, bitch."

Izou saw Ace kind of give him a sidewards glance, seeming to be trying his very hardest not to smile. Izou rolled his eyes. Ace definitely loved the attention from Sora. The rest of the bar seemed interested as well, trying not to break their conversation to stare before this rare moment of Sora's affections for Ace was destroyed. Ace seemed to silently be thanking everyone in the bar with his eyes.

"I didn't know you and Ace-_san_ were serious. I don't understand why he'd want to spend any time with an old retired pirate when he has the chance to be with a current one," Morganna mocked, cocking her head at Sora.

"Yeah, well, you're obviously not only super poor but also super stupid," Sora responded immediately, and Izou saw that Ace was resisting a very strong urge to leap into the air and burst into a series of cheers. "Ace is with me because he wants to be, instead of being forced by your evil voodoo shit. Now back _off_ before I slap you in the face so hard that you _die_."

Morganna scoffed, waving off Sora's threat. "Whatever, Sora. Real ladies don't start fights anyway."

"Please, bitch, you started this years ago when you tried to steal my husband," Sora snapped. "Now if you don't mind, Ace and I are going to have dinner, and I'm not sure we want annoying little flies buzzing about our personal space. Leave."

With a huff, Morganna turned on her heels and left the bar. Sora kept her eyes on the door, burning holes through it. Then she turned to Ace and flashed a smile as though that insanely catty show down had not just happened. "I _love _when I win," she said sweetly.

Ace grinned at her. "Me, too."

"Let's have dinner," she said, and the two of them slid into the table with the rest of the division commanders, all of who also pretended like Sora hadn't just yelled at Morganna over Ace.

Ace pulled Sora in close, lowering his voice to a husky purr. "I didn't know we were 'serious'."

"Seriously friends," Sora replied with a practiced nonchalance, sipping from her water and ignoring the shivers down her spine.

The younger man smiled. "Oh, is that what you meant?"

"Yup."

"Oh, so, you weren't mad that I hung out with Morganna today?" Ace asked, still grinning.

Eiichi came by and Sora ordered for the both of them, sending him off with a smile. "No," she told Ace, still smiling. "You can hang out with whoever you want, Ace."

"Oh, okay. Since Morganna is only here for a little while, I'm hanging out with her again tomorrow. She's not that bad."

Sora shrugged as though this didn't bother her and Ace couldn't help but feel his heart swell. He knew that Sora was doing her best to try not to show her jealousy, but she had shown it five minutes ago when she called Morganna out. "Go ahead."

Ace nuzzled his face in the crook of her shoulder and face, laying a soft kiss on her neck. "You can just tell me that you don't want me to go, and I'll spend the whole day with you."

"I'm not your keeper," Sora said, laughing. She waved him off, lifting her glass of water to her lips again. "Do whatever you want."

Ace sighed, lifting his face and kissing Sora's cheek. He had thought that would have made Sora admit that she was a little jealous. He glanced back up at her and actually smiled a little. The woman was doing her best not to show her feelings but she probably didn't realize that her cheeks were puffed out and her brows were furrowed slightly.

"I won't go tomorrow," Ace said, tilting her chin to face him. He pecked her nose with a grin.

"No, you can go," Sora said, shaking her head and freeing herself from his grasp. Eiichi brought back an enormous basket of chili cheese fries, placing down in front of Sora, who began shoveling the greasy food into her mouth.

Ace frowned slightly. "I want to be with you tomorrow."

"Well, you made plans with Morganna, and that'd be mean if you didn't keep to them," Sora said, not looking at him. "Like how it would have been mean if you didn't keep to our dinner plans tonight, right?" Sora glanced up from eating, raising her eyebrows as though Ace was supposed to agree with her fake justification.

"Um, yeah." Ace ran a hand through his hair. He inched closer to Sora, sensing the situation becoming tense. "Sora, I'm sorry if I upset you or anything. I really don't need to hang out with Morganna. I'll just tell her something came up."

"Why do you think I'm mad?" Sora asked, plucking a fry out of the basket and plopping it into her mouth. "I'm not mad. I'm totally _ecstatic_ that you're hanging out with the woman that tried to steal my husband five years ago before he _died_ and constantly lets me know that I'm trapped on this island all alone."

Ace blinked several times. This had turned bitter quite quickly and if he didn't play his cards right, he and Sora would be fighting. "I'm sorry, Sora. I didn't know it upset you. I was just teasing."

"Ah, I see," Sora said, nodding as she chewed her food. "Just teasing, huh? So, this was just a big joke?"

"No, it wasn't."

"You know I don't like Morganna."

"But you never said I couldn't hang out with her."

"Of course I wouldn't!" Sora said, turning to face him now. "I'm not your mom or your boss or your girlfriend. I can't tell you what to do! If you want to go and hang out with her, then that's totally fine. But you don't need to rub it in my face!"

Ace was surprised at her outburst and sat there, stunned. The rest of the division commanders looked a little uncomfortable as well, but tried their best not to make the situation for Ace even worse. Ace rubbed his temples. Even after three months, he still had the magical ability to always say the wrong things at the wrong time.

"Okay," Ace said quietly. He had not played his cards right. "Sorry."

"Whatever, it's fine," Sora replied, ending the conversation successfully as Eiichi came by with a few steaks for Ace. Ace turned to try and talk to Sora again but she was already speaking to Marco and Jozu about something, acting as though Ace wasn't there.

Ace suddenly wasn't hungry. He hadn't really eaten much for lunch today because he had known that he was going to spend dinner with Sora at the bar. He was running low on cash and was actually going to take up the Sky Pub's offer to the division commanders for free food. But now that she was actually upset, he didn't really want to be here anymore. She just needed time to calm down.

"Hey, um, I'm gonna go out," Ace said, tapping Sora on the shoulder.

She waved him off. "Go. You don't need to tell me."

"Okay," Ace said, sliding out of the booth. He stood for a moment, as though Sora was going to turn and ask him to stay, but she stayed engaged with Marco and Jozu, so Ace just sighed quietly. He left the Sky Pub without another word.


	30. Chapter 30: I Spy

Sora felt deflated. She knew she had been a little to harsh on Ace last night for no reason. She hated that she was being such a hypocrite and planned to apologize today. Time angry at each other was time wasted. Sora just wanted things to go back to the way they were.

But when she woke up, Ace wasn't there next to her. Sitting up, she glanced over at the bed across her, seeing that it was empty. Sora frowned, but got dressed and headed downstairs anyway.

"Have you seen Ace?" she asked Eiichi quietly, as though telling him a secret.

Eiichi shook his head. "He didn't come down in the morning or anything."

"Oh," Sora said, nodding slightly. She had gone to bed right after eating, not in a good mood. "Okay."

"I think—oh, nevermind," Eiichi said, covering his mouth as though he had already divulged too much and tried to leave.

"What? You think what?" Sora asked, tugging on his sleeve.

"Nothing," Eiichi said, smiling and patting her on the head.

"He's out with Morganna isn't he?" Sora asked, and Eiichi watched Sora's expression fall again. Her hand fell from his sleeve and she leaned against the bar, covering her eyes with her hands. "Dammit," she whispered, sighing. "Whatever."

Sora stood up again, tying an apron around her waist. She flipped her hair over, tying it out of her face and slid a tray of food away from the counter, rushing to deliver it. Eiichi sighed, watching his childhood friend beat herself up. Sora was so closed off that even when she tried to open herself up a little – to Ace – of course something had to happen to ruin it. It was probably not a good idea to tell her about—

"…yeah, and I heard they kissed!"

"Seriously? Last night? Who told you that?"

The other man shrugged, taking a bite from his breakfast sandwich. "I dunno, I just heard some people talking about it."

Sora came back at that time. "Sorry, I don't mean to be eavesdropping, but what was that you two gentlemen were talking about?" she asked sweetly, tilting her head to add to the innocent factor.

The two men looked a little uneasy. "Uh, nothing to really concern yourself with, Sora. Don't worry about it."

Sora kept a smile plastered on her face. "If it's about Ace, please tell me."

The men exchanged glances. It was like they could sense her killer intent, even behind her light tone. "We, um, heard that last night, after Ace left the bar, he was with Morganna."

"And after they ate dinner, he walked her to her motel, and they may have…kissed," the other man finished, wincing afterwards as though expecting an atomic explosion.

But Sora just chuckled. "Oh, I see," she said sweetly, clapping her hands together as though this were exciting news. She untied her apron, hurling it into the bin like she was playing a game of live-or-die dodgeball. "If you gentlemen will please excuse me. Enjoy your breakfast."

Sora stepped out from behind the bar, making her way towards the door with an actual skip in her step. Eiichi swallowed a lump in his throat. "Um, Sora," he called, but she was already gone.

Morganna had to be in the shopping district. Sora skipped there happily, her arms flailing about as though frolicking through a field of daisies. The sale on Arashi Island only last a few days, and got better as the days went by, so of course Sora would find Morganna there.

And she did.

The blonde woman was dressed casually, in a tight pair of jeans and a short babydoll top that exposed her middrift. Her blonde hair was let down loosely over her slender shoulders, and she was busy purchasing something from a woman at a rack. Why wasn't Ace with her? Shouldn't she have been with him since they spent the night together? _Oh, well_, Sora thought to herself. He was probably off getting something to snack on while Morganna shopped. It was better that Ace wasn't here anyway.

Sora skipped right up to her, and tapped her on the shoulder. Morganna raised an eyebrow. "What do _you _want?" she said distastefully, dusting off her shoulder as though Sora had contaminated it.

Sora smiled at Morganna. "You know, you're right. A lady doesn't start fights," she said with a smile. Her expression changed instantly, a storm brewing in her deep blue eyes. "_But she does finish them_!" Sora balled her hand into a fist and with lightning fast speed, crushed it into the side of Morganna's face as hard as she possibly could, sending the woman flying backwards.

"What the—" Morganna groaned, pushing herself off the ground. She was literally seeing stars, and felt dizzy, dropping back to the sidewalk. She could already feel the bruise blossoming in her face. People stopped what they were doing to stare. Sora never lost her cool, especially not in public, but now the woman was storming towards Morganna, her fists balled tightly.

She stood in front of Morganna, crossing her arms. Sora looked down at the blonde. "I thought I told you to back off."

* * *

Ace yawned, rolling his shoulder blades back. He rolled around, realizing that he wasn't in his bed. He shot up, feeling the hardwood floors beneath him, and ran a hand through his hair. His body was cramped from having been sprawled out on the floor last night. He had stayed with Marco and Thatch last night, on their floor. He didn't want Sora to get mad if he came back loudly.

Last night, Ace did have dinner with Morganna, but only because it seemed like she stalked him. She had found him at Ramen-Ya, and joined him for a bowl of noodles. Ace, of course, was a gentleman and wouldn't let a lady walk back to her room late at night. And then she kind of…threw herself at him.

Ace debated on telling Sora about it, but after experiencing her explosion at dinner, decided against it. She would consider it "rubbing it in her face" and he did not want to be _punched_ in the face. Some things were just better off left unsaid and today, he was going to politely decline Morganna's advances and apologize properly to Sora. He never really did understand the full extent of Sora's dislike for Morganna and he did admit that he probably should not have 'poked the bear' so much. The bear had claws. And they were sharp.

Yesterday afternoon had not been what he expected. Ace was very polite, of course. It was how Makino had taught him to behave, and he had learned that there was a certain way you act in front of women as not to seem like a pig and Ace had that shtick down pat.

Morganna was nice. She was a real lady, and was very sweet to Ace. Too sweet. Ace couldn't help but feel a little awkward because he didn't genuinely reciprocate her attraction to him. Sure, she was pretty. But she wasn't Sora. It was a weird feeling for him; being hit on by a beautiful woman and not immediately resorting to using his usual tactics to bring her to bed. Ace honestly didn't feel anything at all for the blonde woman with whom he had spent the day. He would have rather been at the bar, sitting and talking to Sora.

But he just wanted to maybe have Sora realize that she liked spending time with him, too. It wasn't too much to ask, right? To be wanted? Ace wanted Sora to want him. Or at least want to spend time with him. He hadn't meant for her to explode about it.

He made his way downstairs, scratching his head. Women were so confusing sometimes. "Good morning, Sora," he said, but there was no smiling woman at the bottom of the stairs. There was no woman at all. Ace glanced around. "Where's Sora?" he asked Eiichi.

Eiichi tilted his head. "You're here."

"Yeah, I stayed in Marco's room," Ace said, raising an eyebrow. "Where's Sora?"

Ace was answered by the excited whispers and chatters from across the bar, and glanced around, thoroughly confused. Eiichi was grinning, glad that this town was so small that news spread like wildfire. "You'll never believe what happened."

Ace slid into a bar stool, and Eiichi handed him a glass of orange juice. "What happened?" he asked, taking a sip from the juice. It tasted odd in his mouth because of the mint taste from the toothpaste still lingering in his mouth.

"Sora punched Morganna in the face."

Ace spit all of the juice out, nearly spraying the waiter, who looked a little disgusted. "_What_?"

Eiichi chuckled a little and shrugged. "Yeah, like a couple minutes ago. Gossip spreads pretty fast here, especially when our little pirate goes punching girls in the face."

"Why did she punch Morganna?" Ace asked, incredulous. Sora had never gotten violent with anyone, ever before. It was a little surreal.

Eiichi crossed his arms. "Come on, Ace. You know the answer to that."

Ace downed the rest of his orange juice, slamming the mug on the table. Physical violence! Sora's jealousy was resorting to _physical violence_! Ace would have laughed – she was worse than him – if the situation could have presented it. Ace spun off his chair. "Gonna go find her!" he called to Eiichi, sprinting out of the bar.

He jogged in place, glancing around. He couldn't believe that Sora would do something like that. It made him happy and concerned at the same time. It had probably been a while since Sora had experienced anything resembling jealousy at all, and didn't really know how to react to it besides the only way she knew how – fighting. She was a fighter; she was a pirate. Of course she would punch someone in the face if she were angry. Sora probably never really got angry because she was friends with everyone here.

Everyone except Morganna.

Where would Sora be? Where would Morganna be?

Shopping street. Morganna did mention that she was going to be shopping today and told Ace to meet her there. Ace would meet her there. And he would leave with Sora. And…he would tell her. He would tell her how he felt and maybe if he were lucky, she wouldn't punch him in the face, too.

* * *

Sora pushed open the door to the Sky Pub, shaking her hand out. She smiled at Eiichi, who was raising an eyebrow at her. "I totally forgot how good it felt to just…punch someone in the face," she said, sliding into a barstool.

Eiichi sighed. "Oh, Sora."

"What?" she asked, shrugging. "I didn't do anything bad."

"Sora."

"I didn't kill her?"

"_Sora!"_

"Okay, maybe it did get a little out of control," she sighed, resting her chin in her palm.

"You think?" Eiichi scolded, bopping her on the head with a menu. "Why didn't you just talk to Ace?"

"Because," she said, sitting up. "I'm in no place to dictate who he talks to or hangs out with."

"You don't think this could have been avoided if you just told Ace, 'I don't like Morganna, so please don't hang out with her. Spend time with me'?" Eiichi asked, and Sora just dropped her face to the counter, groaning.

"I'm a crazy person," she moaned, lifting her face to drop it again. "I hate being like this. I wish these weird feelings would just go away."

Sora felt Eiichi's palm on her head. "You like him! Go tell him."

"Yeah, as a _friend_," Sora said, shifting her head so that her cheek was pressed against the wooden counter.

"Sora. You punched a woman in the face today."

"Well. She deserved it," Sora defended, sitting up again with her arms crossed.

"Go and tell Ace," Eiichi insisted. Sora just gazed at him, her eyes narrowed like she was having a staring contest with him. "I'm not playing, Sora. He obviously means a lot to you, so go and tell him. If you don't scoop him up now, then someone else will."

Sora just shrugged at that. "That's totally fine with me. I don't care. Ace and I are just friends."

"I give up," Eiichi sighed, shaking his head. "You know, when they leave and when you're miserable because you didn't tell Ace how you really feel about him, don't come crying to me because all I'm going to say is _I told you so_."

"Fine."

"Fine," Eiichi said, stalking off. Sora let her eyes linger on him for one moment, stood up, and dashed out the front door, the bell jingling behind her. As if she was going to let Eiichi dance in victory. Sora really did need to talk to Ace.

But where could he be? Sora ventured back into the shopping district. She had left Morganna there after punching her, and if Ace were anywhere around there, he probably came at the sound of commotion, which was when Sora slipped through the crowd and took the long way back to the bar. Just when Sora was about to head to Morganna's motel, she caught sight of them.

Morganna tugged the tall dark haired man into a little alleyway between a boutique and a bread shop. Sora balled her fists together. Didn't she _just _tell Morganna not to come near Ace? That woman did want to die, didn't she?

Sora forced herself to take a deep breath. She couldn't lose her composure twice in one day. It was just something about Morganna that really ticked her off and she wasn't going to stand by and watch her take away someone important to her.

So, Sora ducked into the bread shop, holding up her finger to her lips, showing the owner that she didn't want to talk. She shuffled to the wall adjacent to the alley, glad that the window was already half open. She would be able to hear them.

Sora sighed inwardly. She would definitely not be telling anyone about her stalker adventures. She _was _worse than Ace. At least Ace never punched Marco in the face and followed her and Marco around like a spy.

"We're going to leave in a few days," Morganna told Ace. Sora could almost see her seductive smile and resisted every urge in her body that told her to blast open the wall. _No_, Sora thought to herself, _a good spy would remain invisible. A ninja._ "I think that you should come with me back to my ship and spend the night."

Oh, no. Oh, no, oh, no, oh _no_. Morganna was inviting Ace back to her ship! Sora felt her stomach drop. He couldn't say no. Sora hated to admit it, but Morganna was a beautiful woman, and men couldn't resist her. Sora felt so winded, the air in her lungs leaving her. This was it. She had lost. She made a move to leave, but Ace began to speak.

"Ah, um, look, Morganna, I'm really flattered," Ace said, scratching his head. "But I can't."

"Can't?" Morganna repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, I phrased that wrong," Ace said with a chuckle. "I don't want to."

"_What_?"

Ace took a breath. "There's already a woman here that means a lot to me. She…makes me happy, and um, I really care about her. She trusts me, and I want to be able to share myself with her, and her only."

Morganna scoffed. "Is that _Belleville_? Are you sleeping with _Sora_?" she spoke with disgust, outraged.

"No," Ace said immediately, waving his hands. "We're only friends."

"Why does she matter so much then?"

Ace grinned. "She just does." He paused for a moment. "It was really great meeting you. Good luck on your voyages."

Sora stood, frozen. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Ace had turned her down. Then she realized that she needed to escape. Leave the shop! Leave the shop! Sora darted for the front door and nearly crashed into someone coming in.

"Hey," Ace greeted with a grin, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, hi," Sora said, running a hand through her hair.

"Whatcha doing?"

"I love…bread," Sora stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the entire world.

"You know," Ace said slowly. "You're not the only one with _haki_."

Sora stood frozen, her entire body paralyzed. She blinked a few times and with the most neutral face she could make, only said, "Oh."

Ace slung his arm around Sora, leading her out of the shop. "Were you following me?" he whispered, kissing the top of her ear.

"I was doing no such thing," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You're too cute."

"Why didn't you go?" Sora asked softly, averting her eyes to the ground. "I know she's pretty, Ace. Well. Maybe before I punched her, but I'm not blind. You don't need to…do that for me."

Ace's expression softened. He sensed her the moment she walked into the bread shop. He had grown so used to feeling her presence that he definitely knew that Sora was behind the wall, listening to everything he said. It was actually kind of cute that she was so roused up. This really bothered her, didn't it? Ace stopped in his tracks, moving in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, causing the woman to look up. Tell her. Just tell her!

"I…care about you," Ace said. He cursed inwardly. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't do it. He was such a coward! "And I meant what I said back there. I'm not interested in Morganna. The woman I am interested in is…this really sweet girl with tiny, tiny boobs. She likes cheese, and she gets really jealous really easily. And I think that is so, so cute." Ace kissed her nose, running a hand through Sora's hair.

"Well, I don't know who you could possibly be talking about because I have huge boobs, and I never get jealous," Sora replied, sticking her tongue out at him again.

Ace laughed, shaking his head. "Ah, of course," he said, playing along. He shifted, allowing his arm to sling around her again.

"Who is it, then?" Sora asked, surprising Ace. She normally just let topics like this drop.

"Hm?"

"Who's the girl?"

Ace glanced down at her, and grinned. "It's a secret."

"Oh," Sora said, nodding like she understood. "You ever gonna tell me who it is?"

Ace paused for a moment. What was Sora doing? She knew that the person Ace cared about most in the world was her. Right? Ace noticed the light blue swirls in her eyes, sparkling the ocean when the sun rose. She did know. The man smiled. "Yeah," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Someday."


	31. Chapter 31: Smells Like Rain

_Sora ran in the opposite direction from her crewmen and villagers that were trying to evacuate the village to reach the beaches. Her men did not stop her as she weaved between them, her breathing heavy. She pushed her_haki_out, scanning the area for Ken's aura. Her strength exploded from her body, an invisible force field consuming the town, honing in on Sora's most precious person. She felt his presence, slowly fading and changed directions, darting through an alley to reach the street over._

_It was instant. Adrian, his wrath blending in with the flames that consumed the village, eyes darkened as he stared at Ken._

_ "Ken!" Sora cried, flying towards Adrian with her sword out. Adrian flicked his wrist, popping something in his mouth before catching Sora's blade, sparks flying from his hands. Sora stared in bewilderment. Adrian's flesh was steel?_

_ "You still are one sexy bitch, Belleville," Adrian snarled, flashing her a grin that looked more like baring his teeth. _

_ "Adrian," Ken choked, lifting his head from the dirt. His face was drenched in blood, dying his silver hair crimson. "You promised."_

_ Adrian pushed Sora back with all his might, the woman falling to the earth. "Yeah, yeah," Adrian scoffed, backing up. "If I stayed, I'd die anyway. Nice seeing you, Belleville. We're leaving now."_

_ "Adrian!" Sora roared, running at him, but Adrian disappeared in a blast of smoke. Sora dropped to her knees instantly, inching towards Ken. His clothes were tattered and his crutch was thrown aside, slashed into pieces. _Masamune _was stuck in the dirt, useless. "Ken, what happened?" Sora sobbed, brushing the matted silver hair from his face. _

_ "Seems like I got myself in a little mess," Ken said, smiling weakly. _

_ "Ken, what promise were you talking about? Why would you make something like that with Adrian?" Sora asked, rain pouring overhead, blending with her tears. Ken's body felt so light, like a part of him had already left._

_ "He promised he wouldn't hurt you."_

_ "What?" Sora asked, incredulous. "Why would he make such a promise?"_

_ "Because I gave him my life," Ken said, smiling. _

_ Sora felt her chest clench. "Ken, that was the stupidest thing you've ever done. You can't—"_

_ "Don't lecture me, silly," Ken chuckled. "Your hair is really pretty now. Growing it out like I asked. I told you that daddy makes the rules."_

_ "Ken," Sora sobbed, shaking her head. "Shut up. We have to get you to a doctor."_

_ "You can just tie it instead of cutting it. Sophisticated is nice, but when your hair is long you really look beautiful, you know," he said, lifting his hand to try and touch her hair. He ran his fingers against her cheek, blood smearing on her face. _

_ "Stop talking. Come on, let's get up. We have to find—"_

_ "I won't make it," Ken said quietly, and Sora looked down at her husband. She felt her entire body freeze upon seeing tears running down his face. "I want to spend my last moments with you. I know…that things haven't always been fair with us. We've gone through a lot of hurdles to try and be together. But I truly believe that we were meant to be, Sora. Even if our time together was brief."_

_ The woman shook her head, her body shaking with sobs. Her hands and the earth beneath her were stained with blood. "Ken, stop—"_

_ "I was really honored to have a woman like you stand by my side. There's simply no replacement, and I wouldn't have lived my life any other way," he continued, smiling up at Sora, despite himself. _

_ "Get up, come on, Ken. Let's go to a doctor, please," Sora begged, but Ken captured her hand gently. "Come on, Ken. You can't die!"_

_ "You're so bossy," Ken said, chuckling a little. "Stop ruining our romantic moments."_

_ "There is nothing romantic about this!" Sora screamed. _

_ "It's okay, Sora," Ken said, tears flowing freely now. "Live on. You're a strong woman. The strongest I've ever known. You'll be able to do it."_

_ "I can't."_

_ "That's my line," he said, and smiled at her. "Cliché, but…I want my last words to you to be that I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. Don't forget that."_

_ Sora choked out a sob as she felt Ken leave her, his body becoming limp in her arms. "I love you, too."_

Sora awoke with a start, breathing hard. That was the first time in years that she had dreamt of Ken's death. She always forced herself to awake before the dreams got that far. She touched her cheek, noticing that it was wet, and smeared her tears away.

She took a deep breath and sat up, expecting to see Ace at her side, but the bed was empty. She reached around, feeling that it was cold. He hadn't been here for a while. Sora turned her eyes to the clock. It was nine – she normally woke up around this time to get to work – and Ace was normally sleeping. Had he gotten up early?

Sora swung her legs over the side of the bed, shielding her eyes from the faint light dripping in from the windows. A sticky but seet smell drifted in through the screen. It was raining. Sora understood a little why it was raining. Her haunting dreams had probably brought in heavy clouds.

Getting dressed, Sora decided to head downstairs to work and try and push her _haki _out to clear the skies. Ace was probably waiting for her, too.

Ace sat planted in his chair. Numb.

"Son," Whitebeard's low voice rumbled through his ears. Ace looked up to see the rest of the division commanders engaged in conversation on their own. Their meeting was over. Whitebeard could only be talking to Ace.

The dark haired man looked up. "Yeah, _Oyaji_?"

"You have to be the one to tell her."

Ace looked down at the table, running his eyes across the grains of the wood. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Okay," he said after some time. "I'll tell Sora."

"Tell me what?" Sora asked, and Ace stood up, surprised. Sora tilted her head, confused at his reaction.

"Tell you that…we're going hiking today," Ace said with a smile, patting her on the head. Whitebeard watched out of the corner of his eye, wondering how Ace was going to react. It was as he expected. Ace couldn't bring himself to say it yet.

"Hiking? It's raining," Sora said, furrowing her brows.

Ace looked confused now. "Um, no it's not," he said, gesturing to the window. And indeed, it was sunny out, the streets lit brightly. Sora blinked several times. She was sure that she smelled rain.

Oh, well. Maybe it was just some remnants of the storm from her dream that was making her imagine things.

"Wanna go change into hiking clothes?" Ace asked, and Sora shrugged.

"As long as I have my boots," she said, gesturing down to her worn out footwear. "We should go now, before Eiichi scolds me."

Ace grinned. "Yeah, okay. Let's go." He took her hand and darted out of the bar, taking her advice on leaving before Eiichi cold bug her.

The two of them had spent the past few days together, as usual. Now that Ace had fended off Morganna, Sora seemed much happier and Ace wouldn't have it any other way. He was actually becoming accustomed to life here. Arashi Island was some place that he could call home.

Sora was some_one _he could call home.

These past few days, he wanted to tell her. He wanted to sit her down and really talk to her about his feelings for her. But he couldn't. And today's division commander meeting really reinforced that thought. He couldn't tell her.

"What's up?" Sora asked, tugging on Ace's arm.

"Hm?" her voice had snapped him from his thoughts.

"Is something wrong?"

Sora knew him too well already. She could tell when he was tense, the same way that he knew when there was something bothering her. "No," he lied. "Nothing's wrong. Why?"

"I dunno, you're being weird," she laughed, shrugging. Ace raised an eyebrow as though asking her to elaborate but she just lifted her shoulders again. "I dunno, can't explain it."

Ace chuckled, shaking his head. "You're the one that's being weird. You thought it was raining. What could possibly make you think that?" He gestured around him, to the perfectly clear sunny day. There wasn't a gray cloud in sight.

Sora smiled. "I don't know. I just smelled rain."

It was that weird feeling. Maybe Ace could compare it with the way that Sora had described her feelings for Teach. Ace felt a little uneasy, like there was something bad headed their way. He sighed inwardly. Of course there was something bad headed their way. News at this morning's meeting hadn't exactly been the easiest to stomach. Maybe that's why he felt a bit nauseas.

"Hey, was that a division commander meeting?" Sora asked suddenly, and Ace felt his chest tighten.

He forced his face to remain neutral. "Yup."

Sora's face lit up, and she smiled. "Oh, I miss those. I never paid attention. What'd you guys talk about?"

Ace shrugged. "Ah, I don't really pay attention much either," he lied again. "And it probably wasn't that important."

"Did _Oyaji _talk to you guys about when you're leaving?"

Lie. Lie. Lie! "Nope."

"Oh, okay," Sora said happily, squeezing his hand. "You get to bother me for a while longer then, huh?"

"Yup," Ace answered, glad that she enjoyed his presence. This was what perhaps made it so hard. Ace felt like he was finally getting somewhere with Sora. He had been patient and waited and inched his way further into her heart and he was finally somewhere special. He was finally able to reach her – to be with her. Just a little while longer and maybe, _just maybe_, there was a chance that they could be together for real.

It was difficult because a part of him knew that they couldn't be together for real. Not right now. It tore him apart.

"Hey, Sora," Ace started as they began their trek up the path. "If I said I wanted to stay here instead of be a pirate, would that be okay?"

Sora turned to face him, furrowing her brows. "What?" she asked in disbelief. "You're thinking of not being a pirate anymore, Ace?"

"No," he answered, holding his hand up, seeing as this made her feel a little upset. But he couldn't lie anymore. "Well, maybe. I don't know. It was just a thought."

Sora turned to face forward again, but now she didn't seem mad. "I can't…really tell you what to do, you know? I'm not really in a place to do something like that."

"You are," Ace assured her.

Sora took a deep breath. "I honestly don't know. I don't think that I should be the one to tell you how to live your life. If you really want to find out about whether or not you're supposed to live, I think that _you_ need to go out and do it. _You_ need to live."

"Oh," Ace said, finding her little spout quite close to something that his grandfather may have told him. "Do _you _want me to stay?"

"I can't answer that," she said again, smiling at him gently.

"Why?"

"Because."

"That's not a good reason," he teased, nudging her. "Yes or no?"

"Yes," Sora answered, keeping her eyes in front of her. "_And_ no."

Ace sighed exasperatedly. It was so hard to ever really get a straight answer from Sora when it came to sensitive things like feelings.

"You need to make that decision on your own," Sora insisted. "If you stay, then you'll give up being a pirate, and that is probably the worst feeling that I have ever experienced. Besides, you know, Ken dying. But if you leave," she said, and seemed to think for a moment. She smiled up at Ace. "There really isn't a downside to that, is there?"

"Of course there's a downside. I wouldn't be able to see you," Ace replied immediately.

Sora laughed a little. "If you leave, we'll still see each other, Ace. _Oyaji _brings everyone here now and then, so we'll see each other in a few years."

_No, we won't!_ Ace wanted to scream, but he didn't. He just smiled down at Sora. "Yeah, you're right."

"See? You kind of already made the decision, didn't you?" she asked, and Ace noticed that her smile wasn't creased with dimples. Was she forcing it? Did she not mean what she said? Ace didn't really understand how she could say that there was no downside to Ace leaving. Did she even care?

Ace forced himself to calm down. Of course she cared. Of course she would miss him. Right? No, there was no questioning it. Sora did care about him, she just didn't know the whole story. Maybe if he just _told her _what the division commander meeting had been about, they could have a serious talk about it.

But now wasn't the time. He wanted to treasure this hike today. It would be their last.

The conversation changed to lighter topics. Ace didn't even really know what they were talking about, but he just knew that it felt right. Being here felt right. He wanted to stand by Sora forever, for the rest of his life. Here was a woman with whom he could talk about things like favorite animals and favorite foods, and talk about pirate stories, and Whitebeard's crew. She was strong, and funny, and beautiful – she was the perfect woman for him.

"Did you want to go to the waterfall?" Sora asked, remembering how excited Ace had been about the waterfall.

"How about we go to the top?" Ace suggested. "I've never been to the top of the mountain, and on the way back down, let's go pay our respects to Ken, splash around in the waterfall, and head back down for lunch."

He grinned and Sora smiled, approving of his answer. "Sure."

Sora wondered if Ace had really thought about staying here with her. There was nothing in the world that Sora wanted more – to stand beside him. But at the same time, standing beside him also meant standing in his way and she couldn't do that. Ace was a man who couldn't be stopped, and Sora didn't want to be the reason why he gave up on his dreams. There had to be some way that she could keep him here and let him go at the same time.

But that was selfish, though, wasn't it? It was selfish to want Ace to herself and Sora knew it. However, she couldn't help it. Her relationship with Ken had always been selfless, that she never had the chance to act like a child – she never had to chance to really express the fact that she wanted to keep someone she cared about close to her. Ken was always away and it was hard for her to remain mature about the distance between them, but it was Ken; she thought she would have forever to spend with him. But sometimes forever didn't last very long and now Sora was alone again.

Until Ace. She wanted to keep him, she did. But she knew…that she needed to let him go. Sora just wished she knew when he was leaving so that she could talk to him about all of this. Maybe it would set his mind at ease.

"It's beautiful," Ace's voice snapped Sora from her thoughts. They were at the peak of the mountain now, looking over at the sea. Blue stretched above them and below, the sky and ocean disappearing into the horizon. Wind whipped around them, blowing Ace's hair back as he glanced around with a wide grin.

Sora just smiled, reaching over and taking his hand. Ace seemed surprised, but squeezed back, leaning over to kiss her forehead. He would miss times like these.

He gazed out again, glancing to the right where there seemed to be something docked on the far side of the island. He furrowed his brows. "Hey, Sora, did Morganna leave?"

"Hmm? Yeah, she left a few days ago," Sora said with a scoff. She put her free hand on her hip and grinned up at Ace proudly. "Her face was still bruised. I'm the strongest warrior in all the land."

"Whose boat is that, then?" Ace asked, pointing to the ship in the distance. Being a little shorter, Sora couldn't really see as the ship was concealed, so she moved slightly to take a better look and Ace felt her entire body freeze, right down to her bones. She would recognize that jolly roger anywhere.

Her voice was merely a whisper but before she even said it, Ace knew the answer: "_Adrian_."

* * *

**AN: I apologize for all the typos. I don't bother to recheck everything because this story is really long and I'm not even really interested in writing anymore, probably because the actual One Piece manga has been extremely slow and boring right now. I will try to finish this story but I can't make any promises. Sorry.**


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